


Beauty and The Beast

by RookieSand



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F/F, May contain mild spoilers, Rating May Change, and romantic, beast marianne, does it count as slow burn if it starts like a horror story?, other characters may be mentioned but not appear, probably gonna be fluffy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-27
Updated: 2019-11-14
Packaged: 2021-01-04 03:15:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 23,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21190655
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RookieSand/pseuds/RookieSand
Summary: Hilda heard about the rumors at the Edmund Estate. What had become of her childhood friend and her family?





	1. Monster At The Edmund Estate

Hilda was outside chopping wood with her brother. Winter had sunk its claws deep into the land and they needed more firewood for the house. Normally, Hilda would've let Holst do it by himself and feign fatigue or injury; but, today she was feeling perturbed and chopping wood helped clear her head. According to the people in town, a huge storm was going to blow through any day now so everyone was preparing for the worst. Hilda was in town earlier to stock up on necessary supplies for the coming storm herself. When she had been browsing through the stalls in the market, she had overheard an odd conversation that had stirred her. She hadn't been able to shake the unsettling thought from her head and her chest still felt heavy. She smacked the axe through a piece of wood sending splinters flying in all directions.

Holst, never one to miss a beat from his little sister, eyed her from a small distance. He had become in tune enough with her over the years to realize when something wasn't quite right—though, the fact that she was angrily sending an axe through logs was also a big indicator of her mood. He knew that getting between her axe and whatever she was swinging at was a horrible idea. Even so, he wasn't about to stand idly by while his sister was in obvious distress.

"Hilda, you don't normally chop wood with me," was what he decided to lead with. He made sure to keep a safe distance away from her.

Hilda looked up, missed her swing, and was sent tumbling forward through the snow from the momentum of the axe. She took a moment to compose herself again and swung the axe up over her shoulder. "Can't a little sister chop wood with her big brother so we can have a fire?" she said trying to sound cheery. She batted big, innocent eyes at him.

Holst nearly lost his resolve on questioning her. He shook his head and offered her a light smile. "Normally, yes. But you know I can handle this myself and you aren't necessarily one to argue that point. Is something bothering you? Did something happen in town?

Hilda let out a puff of air. It was clear Holst wasn't going to give up on this one. She sat down on the chopping log and rested her chin in her hand. "I just... heard a strange rumor in town. It's been bothering me."

"What was it?" Holst asked leaning in closer to her.

She shoved him away a bit. "Apparently, there was a monster seen near the Edmund estate... Nobody has seen or heard from the family in a few weeks...."

"Edmund?" Holst put his hand to his mouth and his brows furrowed as he thought hard. "Edmund... That's the... family with the girl you used to be close with. What was her name again?"

"Marianne...."

"That's it!" Holst said excitedly, slapping his fist in his hand. Hilda rolled her eyes. "You're worried about her." He looked rather proud of himself as if he'd cracked an unsolved mystery. 

Hilda sighed. "I guess. I don't know." She twirled her axe around in the snow. "It's just a rumor. There weren't any bodies or blood found from what I heard so that seems rather strange. There's a lot that doesn't seem to add up. I can only hope she's okay. There isn't much I can do about it anyway."

"Why don't you go?"

Hilda looked up at him in shock. "Me? Go to the Edmund estate?"

Holst shrugged his shoulders. "Sure, why not?" He jerked his thumb towards the stables. "If you take the young stallion, it'll be about a two-day ride even if the weather gets bad. However, I don't recommend you ride in a storm. I'll help you pack."

Hilda considered it a moment longer. It would be a long journey but she wasn't sure she would be able to rest until she knew Marianne's whereabouts whether they be good or bad. "Thank you, Holst." Hilda jumped to her feet and wrapped her arms around Holst in a large hug.

Before Hilda knew it, she was geared up on the back of a horse and thudding down the road toward the Edmund estate. The wind was starting to pick up and biting her through her face mask. She pushed the horse hard. The farther she could get in a day the better. If there really was a storm coming, she would have to make it before it hit. If she didn't, she could easily get lost or injured on the journey if she tried traveling in the storm or she would have to waste time waiting out the storm. Neither of those were ideal options.

As she rode, her mind was full of only deep worry for Marianne. Where could she and her family have gone? From what she had learned so far, it seemed as though the family had disappeared. A monster had been spotted in the woods—so the rumor went—but people couldn't seem to decide on whether the monster had caused any trouble or even if it existed. She believed it had only been seen twice by two different people and that was it. Did someone just make up the fact that there was a beast to make their ghost tale scarier? A family up and disappearing was scary enough on its own! Besides, if there was a beast, they could've easily sought help from the Alliance to get rid of it. There just didn't seem to be any sense in any of it.

Hilda slowly trotted into a town that was about midway between her and Marianne's homes. Night had long since set in and the temperature had cooled off significantly. She was shaking uncontrollably as she made her way down the quiet snowy street. She recognized most of the scenery as she had been here many times on her journies to Marianne's. She figured stopping there for the night would be fine. Besides, she wasn't sure she or the horse could go on much longer. She was almost falling off the horse from exhaustion and her thighs and back were beginning to get sore. 

She wandered up to the small inn in the middle of town. Around the side, she went to a small stable where a young man stood. She practically fell off of the horse and offered the boy the reins and some money. Without waiting for a response, she staggered into the inn. It was warm and welcoming to her chilled bones. 

"Welcome," said the woman behind the counter. "My, you look like you've been out all day. You must be tired!"

Hilda nodded as she leaned against the counter. "I just require a place to stay for the night." Her voice was a little slurred and her eyes were starting to get blurry. She still hadn't stopped shaking.

The woman nodded and guided her along to a room. Hilda thanked her and paid her the fee she owned. She was barely able to undress and climb into bed before passing out from exhaustion. 

Hilda woke in the morning to sunlight pouring into her room. She shot up out of bed and washed up quickly. She pulled on her clothing from the day before and made a face. It smelled like a horse, sweat, and horse sweat. She hoped Marianne wouldn't mind her smelling so terribly if she met up with her. She gathered the rest of her things and rushed down the hall to the dining area.

She sat alone, shoveling food into her mouth as quickly as possible. She couldn't believe how late she'd overslept. Marianne was waiting for her. Or maybe she wasn't. But Marianne could be in danger and every second counted. If only she could eat faster or didn't need to eat at all.

"Did you hear about the Edmund estate?"

Hilda nearly choked as she overheard two men talking at the table beside her.

"Heard the family up and vanished. There's a monster in the woods too. People say that they got eaten but I don't buy it. Several guys went out and saw something moving inside the house. Looked like a person to 'em. Went inside but didn't find a single thing."

"Ghosts?" said the other man. "Haunted by the family now?"

"I wouldn't doubt that the poor bastard Margrave's soul would still be walking the earth, but they said it looked more feminine. And that daughter of his, she's as goddess fearing as they come. Doubt she'd stick around for anything."

Hilda abandoned her food, gathered her things, and rushed out the door. The thought that she might be too late for Marianne made her panic. She rode her horse as hard as he could go as the sky started to become overcast. The storm was going to come now whether she liked it or not. She would just have to hurry and trust her instincts.

Large snowflakes were beginning to fall as Hilda made her way down the path to the estate. The storm had held off until she had gotten close to her destination and she silently thanked the goddess for it. It had gotten dark again and snow was beginning to collect on her and the horse. The wind was biting through Hilda's clothes and she was beginning to get wet from the melted snow. If this kept up much longer, she was going to have more pressing problems than a monster in the woods.

The estate was set down a long, winding gravel road through a thin forest of skinny trees. Hilda's hair was standing on end, some of which she knew wasn't because of the cold. It felt like something was watching her just out of sight. The forest was too quiet, even with the impending blizzard. It seemed the only sound she could hear was the light step of the horse crunching through the snow and the wind blowing through the branches of the trees. She felt like something could leap out at her from any direction and it didn't help that the snow was hindering her vision. Her hand rested on the hilt of her axe while the other guided the horse gently. Finally, the house came into view.

It looked abandoned as the rumors had said. The curtains were drawn and it was dark and gloomy. There wasn't a light anywhere that Hilda could see. Everything seemed to be shut tight without a soul in sight. She went around the side of the house to the stables. There wasn't any movement in the stables either. Hilda guided her horse to the stables and hitched him up. Besides hers, there wasn't another horse to be found. Strange. Marianne loved horses and she had always remembered the stables stocked with many different kinds.

Hilda made her way back to the house. The snow was piled up to her mid-shin and was making it hard to walk. Even if the house was haunted, she was going to need a place to wait out the storm. She prayed that she would be able to get inside because spending the night in the stables would surely kill her. She needed to get dry and warm.

She tried the front door. It was locked which didn't surprise her. "How did those other fools get in then?" she wondered aloud. "They said they searched the house." She sighed and started around to see if any of the other doors were ajar or unlocked.

She went around the whole house and ended back at the front. The wind and snow were beginning to pick up and she could feel the cold down to her bones. Out of desperation, she tried the front door again. The handle turned and she practically fell into the foyer. Her heart thudded in her chest. The door had been locked she knew that. She wasn't crazy. It had been locked, hadn't it? Maybe she just hadn't pushed it hard enough. Maybe it had been frozen shut. 

"M-Marianne?" she called out softly. "Are you here?" 

There wasn't a response, which Hilda was both relieved and anxious about. Slowly, her entire body shaking, Hilda crept deeper into the house. She took a left into the kitchen.

The kitchen looked clean but barren. There was barely any food to be found aside from a pot bubbling on the stove. Hilda approached it apprehensively, creeping along as if the pot was going to bite her. She moved in closer and took a peek inside it. It appeared to be normal looking strew and Hilda breathed out a sigh of relief. Why was a pot on the stove, though? The stew didn't look overcooked or like it had been left there. It seemed to be for dinner that evening. Hilda shook her head and continued onward. 

She left the kitchen and went into the living room next. The furniture was covered in white sheets. They'd been courteous enough to cover their furniture in sheets to keep from collecting dust? Hilda was sure if they had been murdered they, or the killer, wouldn't have taken the time to take care of the house for their absence. Hilda thought it strange how clean the house still was even though the rumor it had been abandoned had been circling for at least several weeks. If someone was squatting in the house, she didn't think they would take the time to keep it clean.

She tiptoed up the stairs, finding the air getting colder as she went up. She reached the landing and noticed the window in the hall was open, the curtains fluttering from the strong wind outside. Snow was falling in and dampening the carpet. Hadn't all the windows been closed when she went around the house? She swallowed hard; and, as she went to go start toward the window, she froze in terror. Past the window in the darkened hallway beyond, she could see a figure, eyes glinting in the dark, watching her.

If she could've screamed she would've, but her body had become completely paralyzed. She couldn't move at all, her eyes transfixed on the ones watching her. They weren't human. The shape looked vaguely human but the color was yellow. _Move, stupid legs, move!!_ she screamed to herself. Nothing happened. The two beings could only stare each other down between the snowy veil between them.

The curtain swished in front of them and the shape darted through the darkness back down the hall. Hilda fell to her knees, tears streaming down her face. She hugged herself. _What was that?! A demon? A monster? _Hilda's breathing picked up. It was becoming harder to keep calm. She wasn't sure she'd even been this terrified in her life.

After another moment, she hauled herself to her feet again. She drew her weapon, keeping it ready to swing at any moment. She kept her other hand pressed against the wall to steady herself as she walked. Her breathing was so uneven she was beginning to feel light-headed. Was she going to die here? Her heart was in her throat. She had to keep going.

She found the door to what was Marianne's room open. The room was dimly lit by a candle burning on the nightstand. Blue hair was peeking out from underneath the bed covers. Hilda's grip on her axe tightened. Her mouth was dry and tears still streamed down her face. As she entered the room, the hair on the back of her neck stood on end as it had in the woods. She nearly passed out.

"M-Marianne..." Hilda managed to murmur. "Is that you?"

"Yes..."

Hilda hadn't heard Marianne's voice in a while, but even so, that didn't sound like Marianne. It was deeper and had a scratchy sound, almost like it would hurt to speak like that. Underneath, it seemed to sound like Marianne but Hilda couldn't be sure.

Hilda felt like her chest was going to explode. "Y-You sound a li-a little sick."

"Go away, Hilda." It came out as a growl that Hilda almost wasn't able to understand.

Hilda pulled back her weapon. "What-What did you do w-with Marianne and her family?" Hilda's voice was shaky as she approached the beast. She had to kill it now. It was going to have to be her or the beast.

The beast must have sensed danger. It shifted under the blanket and turned towards Hilda. It had Marianne's face. The only difference seemed to be her eyes. They were a little more sunken in, round, and bright yellow. If it weren't for that, Hilda wouldn't have been able to tell anything was wrong.

Hilda froze, her breathing becoming even more uneven. She felt like she was going to throw up or pass out. Nothing made any sense. Why did this thing look just like Marianne? Hadn't it killed Marianne? Why would it steal her face? Or her body. The room started to spin. Hilda fell to her knees, the axe clattering to the ground beside her. She couldn't kill Marianne. But it wasn't Marianne, was it? But it looked like Marianne. She gripped her hair in her hands. The beast reached out a clawed hand towards her and Hilda looked up with wide, scared eyes. It was going to end here.

"Kill me, Hilda. Please." As it overextended to reach for Hilda, it fell onto the floor, still wrapped in the blanket. It huffed as if it were struggling to breathe. Hilda noticed blood soaking through the blanket.

Hilda moved without thinking. She grabbed the monster in her arms and unwrapped it from the blanket. There was a large gash, ripping through the clothes Marianne frequently wore. Hilda pressed her hand to the wound and blood pooled around her fingers. She gasped.

"You know healing magic, why aren't you fixing this?" Hilda pleaded. "Please, if you are Marianne, heal yourself. For me. Please, I can't lose you, Marianne." Tears and snot were streaming down her face as she looked down at the beast. "Please don't die."

The beast looked up at her through half-lidded eyes. It seemed dazed and weary. It shakily reached a blood-soaked hand up and rested it against Hilda's cheek. "I'm too weak," it groaned. "You have a little magic inside you... I'll tell you the words." It coughed and blood dripped from the corner of its mouth. Its eyes closed and its breathing became more laborious. 

Hilda nodded. "Hurry and tell me!" The monster slowly moved Hilda's hands into the correct position.

"Think about... think about something... you love..." The beast's voice was barely audible. It couldn't even keep its head raised now. "Repeat after me...."

Hilda said the spell as it slowly trickled out of the beast's mouth. The wound slowly began to close itself. The bleeding stopped but it didn't heal itself completely. The beast had gone limp but its breathing had evened out. It seemed to be more comfortable as well. It shifted and pressed its face into Hilda's stomach, whimpering softly.

"Why... why did you come here?" Its voice sounded more like Marianne's now.

"I heard about the monster in the woods," Hilda said softly. "That the people living here hadn't been seen in weeks. I was worried."

The beast nodded once. It wrapped its arms around Hilda's waist and Hilda ran her hand through its hair gently without thinking. "It's my crest..." it said weakly. "Sometimes it acts up and I become a monster." It paused for a moment. "My family left for a trip unrelated to my transformation. They will be back regardless of what happens to me in a few month's time. They decided to travel somewhere warmer for the winter for my mother's health. The Riegan's know."

Hilda stared down at the beast with a look of surprise. That explained why the house was prepared to be empty for some time and also why it was still clean. It also explained why nobody knew what was going on. Claude Von Riegan wasn't one to share all the information he gained. That idiot. She turned the beast's face to look at her. "Let's bathe and then eat the stew you had on the stove, Marianne."

The beast smiled. "That would be pleasant. I haven't had good company in a while."


	2. The Evening With Marianne

One of Hilda's favorite things about Marianne's house had always been her bath. Hilda's bathroom at home was large, sure, but Marianne's blew hers out of the water. It had a large tub capable of fitting at least three grown men in it. It drained at a constant rate while a fountain in the shape of a deer's head dumped water back into it. When they were smaller, the tub had practically been a pool to play in—which they would get in trouble for being in there too long. The room seemed a bit smaller to her now as an adult but was still large and comforting in a nostalgic way.

Marianne lit the chandelier in the room and then several candles along the edges. She also started to heat the bathwater. It helped brighten up the whole area and Hilda felt even more at home now. "I'm used to moving around in the dark," Marianne commented quietly. "My eyes can see fine with minimal light, but I know you'll need a bit more..."

"Thank you for your consideration, Marianne," Hilda said politely. Although, as she watched Marianne start to undress she started to think that maybe bathing in the dark wouldn't have been the worst idea.

Hilda watched Marianne undress at the side of the room where a rack stood to place clothing. Marianne moved slowly, peeling the bloodsoaked clothes off of her body. Hilda could finally see the full extent of Marianne's injury. A large gash started from her ribs and cut diagonally across her to her hip. It looked as though someone was trying to gut her. The wound looked inflicted by a sword. It had opened up again and fresh blood was dripping in large droplets to the floor and mixing with dried blood already covering her torso and legs. Hilda swallowed hard.

The uneasy feeling of being near Marianne had not settled. Hilda's body was still entirely on edge and tremors ran through her now and again. Now that Marianne had stripped, Hilda could take in the full extent of her form. Marianne appeared to be much the same as when Hilda last saw her. Perhaps she was a little bit taller and bulkier but it had been over a year since they had last seen each other so Hilda couldn't be entirely sure. The biggest change was that her forearms and hands were covered in thin, grey-ish black fur. Her hands looked more paw-like and were tipped with large, curved claws. Her feet and calves suffered the same treatment, though her feet looked entirely like those of a wolf. She seemed to be walking on her toes as an animal would, her legs slightly contorted to accommodate the new movement. She understood why Marianne had had a loping gate as they walked down the hall. She had thought it was because of her wound.

Marianne looked up at Hilda and Hilda glanced away quickly, sucking in a sharp breath. Marianne's eyes were still a little hard to look into without feeling a deep sense of dread. It was like staring down a demonic monster. Well, it wasn't _like_ she was staring down a demonic monster, she truly was. Marianne just happened to be wrapped up inside of it. 

"The wound will heal with a little more magic and time," Marianne said, misreading Hilda's reaction. "You didn't have enough magic to heal it."

Hilda looked back at Marianne looking anywhere on her face that wasn't her eyes. "Did you read my mind?" she said trying to sound playful.

Marianne smiled softly. "I don't need to be able to read your mind to know what you're thinking." She crossed the room to Hilda's side and Hilda's heart skipped a beat. She knew Marianne wasn't going to hurt her, but even so, her presence was overbearing. Plus, the stench of dried and fresh gore was making her sick. Too many bad memories.

Hilda slipped past her and went to the rack. "I'll just undress here," she said casually. "I stink like a horse! You absolutely do not want to get close to me."

Marianne nodded and made her way to the other side of the room to bathe herself before hopping into the bath. The room was beginning to get steamy from the bath heating up. Hilda found the thick air uncomfortable to breathe. She shook her head and started to undress, keeping a close eye on Marianne.

Marianne paid her no mind. She rinsed herself and watched blood wash down the drain. Then she whispered something under her breath and her wound stopped oozing once again. She plucked a bar of soap off of the shelf and lathered herself up. Hilda thought she looked like she was having a peaceful time cleaning herself. The scent of lavender filled the room wafting away the more unpleasant scents. 

Hilda drifted over towards Marianne. She plopped down on the stool beside Marianne's and began to wash herself up. She could feel Marianne's eyes on her but tried to block it out. She was sure that it was a trick of her imagination. If Marianne was looking at her, it must've been only stolen glances and not full-on staring like she felt. She glanced over at Marianne and found she was staring at her. As soon as they made eye contact, Marianne looked away, her cheeks deeply flushed. Hilda was completely bewildered. 

Marianne finished up and scurried over to the tub. She climbed in and sunk low in the water, placing her back to Hilda. Hilda checked herself over once she knew Marianne wasn't looking. There wasn't anything weird on her from what she could tell. She sniffed herself. She smelled a little bit, but she'd been traveling two days on the back of a horse. She could've smelled a lot worse that was for sure. Now the soap had covered up most of the stench anyway. Maybe Marianne had a better sense of smell and could smell all two day's worth of grime. Hilda blushed brightly. How embarrassing!

Hilda rinsed herself thoroughly several more times before joining Marianne in the bath. She kept a little bit of distance between them but sat on the same side as Marianne. It was quiet aside from the splashing of water from the fountain. Hilda allowed the warm water to ease her aching body. Her thighs and back were going to be sore for at least a few days and she didn't even want to think about getting back on a horse any time soon. She had exhausted all her willpower for the rest of forever. She rubbed her thighs and groaned.

Marianne shifted uncomfortably beside her. "Wh-What are you doing?"

Hilda glanced over at her. Marianne's face was still unusually flushed and she was staring intently at the water. "I'm just giving myself a little massage. My whole body hurts. I rode a horse two days to get here and slept at a cheap inn with a cheap bed. I'm exhausted."

Marianne kicked her feet through the water, watching it rustle her fur. "You've never put that much effort into anything before, Hilda. I must be pretty special..."

Hilda laughed. "Yeah, I guess you could say that. I wouldn't do this for that big idiot Claude! You said your family told him you were leaving and he didn't bother telling anyone else! There have been rumors you guys are dead floating around for weeks. He probably knows and thinks that's funny!"

Marianne giggled. "That does sound like Claude. Although, it might be troublesome if my family comes home and everybody assumes that they're dead."

"Well, there was a storm picking up outside. I doubt I'll be going anywhere anytime soon. For the time being, people will just have to continue to think you're dead." 

Marianne scooted closer to her. "You're stranded here?"

Hilda scooted away. "Don't sound so excited about that! I like you Marianne but if you pull any funny business—" She stopped short when she noticed Marianne's disheartened look. Clearly, Marianne was more excited about the company than anything else. Hilda let out a breath of air. "It'll be just like a big sleepover."

Marianne's eyes lit up and Hilda tried not to feel unnerved. "We should probably go eat dinner then. You must want to go to bed."

Hilda couldn't argue with her on that.

Marianne took great care in setting the table. Her large paws didn't make it easy but Hilda felt that she needed some sense of normalcy at the moment. Hilda offered to help but Mariane just laughed and told her not to worry about it. Once the table was set, Marianne carried the large pot over to the table and set it on a towel in the middle. She served Hilda first and then herself. 

Hilda thanked her for the meal and started to eat. The stew was rather tasty. It was sure better than anything Hilda felt she could cook, not that she actually applied herself to cooking. Marianne must've gotten better at cooking while she was alone. Hilda's body finally let on how hungry she was and she started to slurp up the stew even faster.

Beside her, Marianne had foregone using a spoon and held the bowl up to her mouth. The slurping and gulping sounds were disgusting, but Hilda didn't say anything. Using a spoon was probably hard in Marianne's condition and saying she sounded gross would probably just make her feel bad. Still, Hilda was having a hard time ignoring it. Marianne went in for seconds and Hilda sighed inwardly.

_I suppose living by yourself as a beast isn't great for your table manners_, she thought. _I'll have to make sure Marianne gets back on track_.

Hilda stirred her spoon through her stew. "So, Marianne, pardon my asking, but why are you here alone?"

Marianne set her bowl down on the table. Stew was dripping from the corners of her mouth and down her chin. Hilda offered her a napkin and Marianne took it gratefully, looking embarrassed. "I offered to stay behind. My parents said they would be back come springtime."

"Yes, but don't you have servants and such? Where are they?"

"We didn't have much staff working here; my father doesn't have many funds. Only a few days after my parents had left, I became bedridden from my condition. I could barely move my body. I thought I might die..." Marianne stared into her bowl intently. "I only seemed to get worse and I told the few staff we had to stock the kitchen and go home. The head housekeeper insisted she stay, but I told her those were direct orders from my father." Tears had formed at the corners of her eyes. "I don't recall a short time after that... I don't remember anything. I only know time had passed because the flowers left by my bedside when the housekeeper left had wilted."

Hilda reached out and gingerly laid her hand over Marianne's hand. It was soft to the touch, her paw pads silky smooth like human skin. She almost recoiled at the sensation but kept up her resolve to try and be comforting.

"Normally my condition makes me sick. I don't recall a time where I have blacked out like that... I also don't remember staying in this form for any extended periods of time. I'm not sure what exactly is going on."

Hilda nodded solemnly. "I'm very sorry, Marianne." 

Marianne shook her head. "It's not your fault. I still don't know what to do about this..." She sighed heavily. "I'm sorry for dragging you into this, Hilda. I'm always such a burden to others. We're almost out of food as well since I haven't been able to go into town. And this wound is being rather stubborn with healing."

"We'll figure something out, Marianne," Hilda said quickly. "Please don't fret. We're going to get through this."

Marianne gave her a sad look. Hilda hadn't seen that look since they were kids. Her heart ached. The rest of the dinner passed by quietly.

Marianne showed Hilda to her room for the night. It was a smaller room with a plush bed and piled with blankets and pillows. It was just how Hilda liked it. Hilda crossed the room and sat down on the bed.

"If you hear anything strange in the night, don't heed it," Marianne said as she began to close the door. "I suggest you lock your bedroom door for your safety. I don't mean to alarm you in any way but I've been finding scratch marks around the house in the morning..." Her voice trailed off and she looked down at the floor.

"I'll be alright," Hilda said with a nod. "Thank you, Marianne. See you in the morning."

Marianne offered her a shy smile and closed the door softly.

Hilda tucked herself into bed. Things had gotten quite strange since she'd entered this house. And now she was going to be stuck with Marianne for some time so the two of them would have to get along. It wasn't like Hilda had any trouble with Marianne, but her current condition put a little bit of a damper on things. Marianne did say that the condition was an effect of her crest. It should wear off eventually. Though, it sounded like Marianne had been like that for weeks. Perhaps it was getting worse. Perhaps there was no going back this time. The thought chilled her to the bone. 

Her eyes started to drift closed. She vaguely remembered that she should lock the door but her body was too tired to move. Maybe she had locked it already. Had Marianne locked it when she left? She couldn't remember. She should really get up and check, but she had already tucked herself under the blanket. She was so cozy. She couldn't open her eyes anymore. She drifted off to sleep.


	3. Things That Go Bump In The Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is starting to read more like a horror story I realize that. Happy Halloween I guess. But don't worry you just have to trust me on this one.

Hilda woke up to the sound of things being knocked around outside her room. She sat up in bed, still groggy, and rubbed her eyes. Perhaps Marianne had gotten up and was moving around the house. Hilda could barely see a thing in her room, but a tiny amount of light was streaming in from under the doorway. Marianne must've lit the lights in the hallway for Hilda in case she needed to navigate in the darkness. The storm was still blowing fiercely outside. The wind made the window rattle and Hilda jumped.

There was another bump that sounded like it was right outside in the hallway. There weren't any footsteps, but she could hear the sound of nails clicking against the wooden floors. The sound of something lightly brushing against the walls accompanied it. The clicking stopped right outside her door and the light underneath the door was partially blocked out. Whatever was outside sniffed the air deeply. A chill ran down Hilda's spine. She quickly got out of bed and climbed underneath it. The shadow moved and then there was a very deliberate scratching against the door. One long, sinister stroke against the wood. Hilda stared in horror, keeping her hand clamped over her mouth.

The door creaked open. Light spilled into the room and a long shadow spread across the floor. It smelled horrible like blood, decay, and wet dog. Its heavy breathing filled the room. "Hiiilllldaaaa," it singsonged. The voice struck fear deep in Hilda's chest like she'd been physically struck. Her breathing picked up exponentially. "Hilda, come play with me..." it continued as it stalked forward into the room.

Hilda saw two giant paws stand beside the bead as the beast looked for her around the room. Suddenly, her blanket was thrown onto the floor. Hilda bit her hand to keep from making a noise.

"Hilda?! Where are you?" It sounded distressed and it turned in a quick circle. She heard the beast take in a deep breath as it sniffed the air again. "Are you scared? I don't want to hurt you... I just want to play..." The beast dropped down onto all fours and suddenly its yellow eyes appeared right in front of her. "There you are!" it barked happily. Its muzzle split into a nasty grin and it licked its fangs.

Before Hilda could react, it reached under the bed and yanked her out by the arm. She cried out in pain. The beast reeled back from her and flung her aside. She hit the wall harder than she would have expected and had the wind knocked out of her. She crumpled to the floor. _Damn, that thing is strong_, she thought as she struggled to catch her breath. _It's going to kill me before it even means to._ Blood was beginning to drip down her arm and the pain was unbearable.

Hilda sat limply as the beast crept forward towards her on all fours. Its eyes reflected the dim light turning them into pale disks. It looked curious, its large wolf-like ears perked forward. Hilda started to feel her body freezing up from the terror. She involuntarily groaned from the pain and the beast's tail started to thump against the bed. Was it mocking her for surviving that? The beast sat back and reached out a hand to her. Hilda made her move then.

She jumped forward and pulled the blanket out from underneath the beast. It was knocked off balance and slammed its head back against the bed. It looked dazed and Hilda threw the blanket over it. She darted out of the room, slammed the door shut behind her, and booked it towards the staircase.

"H-Hilda!" she heard the beast whimper from the other side of the door. It sounded like it was struggling to get up from underneath the blanket.

Where had Marianne left her axe? The terror coursing through her was making it hard to think and she couldn't seem to remember. All her brain was telling her to do was run. Even if she did have her axe, she wasn't sure she was going to be able to swing it now. Her arm was screaming in pain and she couldn't move it at all. If adrenaline wasn't fueling her, she would've been screaming in pain.

As she dashed down the hall, she noticed smears of blood along the wall and dripped in a trail down the entire length. The beast must've reopened its wound when it had turned into... into whatever it was now. She only made it halfway down the hall before she heard the beast's voice again.

"Hilda! Don't leave me behind."

Hilda didn't even bother to look back. She sprinted as fast as she could the rest of the way down the hall and started to fly down the stairs taking them two at a time. 

"W-Wait!" the beast called after her. She heard it pound down the hall and crash into the wall as it missed the turn onto the staircase. The house shook and Hilda dashed across the foyer, ducking into the kitchen. She slid behind the island in the middle and pressed her back against it. She clutched her arm close to her chest and bit her lip. It felt like it was on fire and any movement she made felt like she was being stabbed.

She heard a loud thud from outside the kitchen door, followed by a loud yelp, and then the sound of mad scrambling. The beast must have missed the bottom of the stairs in its panic to make it down them. She heard its footsteps take off toward the opposite side of the house.

What was she going to do? Marianne couldn't handle much more running around with her would now open again. Hilda was going to have to end this quickly or the beast was going to end up killing Marianne unintentionally. What did the beast want? It didn't seem to want to hurt her. When it had, it had let her go immediately. It had said it wanted to play, but she wasn't sure what that meant. Tears started to drip down her cheeks. If someone smarter than her was there, they'd have an idea of what to do.

Hilda tried to relax to clear her head. She needed to focus on what she was going to do. She needed to catch her breath and think about something other than the pain. Marianne was going to get a smack across the face for making her exercise so much. She hadn't been this active or terrified since she'd left school. It was starting to take its toll on her body. She looked up at the ceiling and let her body go limp. She thought about what Marianne's face would look like if she really did smack her. The sad, puppy dog eyes filled with tears but underneath it a look like she deserved what came to her.

Then it hit her.

Despite being a horrifying beast, Marianne was still under there somewhere. She clearly knew who Hilda was and wanted her. Maybe Marianne could be reasoned with if she just took a moment to talk to her. However, before she was willing to take that risk, she would need a weapon. She climbed to her feet and grabbed the biggest knife she could find in the kitchen. The beast would have to be right on top of her to use it, but Hilda felt safer with the weight of it in her hand.

She made her way out into the living room. The beast didn't seem to be anywhere in sight. A large smear of blood was at the landing of the staircase. Hilda gripped the handle on the knife tighter. She wasn't quite sure what her entire plan was, but she felt confident enough in her ability to go with the flow. Hadn't she learned that in school? Sure, you could come up with a decent plan, but one small thing could throw it all off. You had to be able to think on your feet in combat. Marianne was very unpredictable and Hilda couldn't think of any one possibility that seemed likely to happen. She would just have to pray for the best.

She took up position by the fireplace, which had a roaring fire inside of it. Maybe if she made herself seem bigger and scarier, the beast wouldn't attack her right off the bat. That's what her brother told her if she encountered any scary animals in the woods. Then again, Holst wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed. She was starting to regret her decisions. Before she could lose her resolve she took a deep breath and practically screamed, "Marianne!" She whistled as if she were calling for a dog. "Come here, Marianne!"

She heard loud steps from upstairs. When had it gone back upstairs? She hadn't even heard it move around the house. The knife shook uncertainly in her hand. Maybe she hadn't thought this through enough. She didn't know enough about the enemy to make a good plan of attack. It was already too late. The beast stood at the bottom of the staircase.

Hilda got a good look at its whole body for the first time. It was head to toe covered in the grey-ish black fur that had covered Marianne before. Its face looked like a cross between a wolf and a bear, with large fangs poking out from its lips. It didn't seem to be any bigger than Marianne was but its head was bulkier. It stood upright with its full attention focused on Hilda. It seemed to be apprehensive about approaching her, its eyes were glued to her in an intense stare. It sniffed the air and whimpered quietly. Blood seeped from its wound clumping in its fur and dripping down its legs onto the ground. It lurched forward, falling onto all fours. Slowly, it started to approach Hilda.

"Marianne, stop!" Hilda shouted as she tried to stand her ground. "You're scaring me! That's bad."

The beast loped right up to her and looked up at her. Hilda swore the look in its eyes was pleading with her. "I'm... sorry...." it murmured. It stumbled forward and butted its head into Hilda's stomach. It fell to the floor with a hollow thud and Hilda noticed that its breathing was shallow.

Hilda fell to her knees beside it, tossing the knife aside. She ran her hand over its head and between its ears. It was incredibly soft. Hilda scooped it up in her arms and nuzzled her face into its fur. "You're hurt, Marianne," she murmured. "You can't go running around the house like this."

"I'm sorry," it repeated. Its voice was starting to return to a softer tone more reminiscent of Marianne. "I'm always... causing trouble... for others."

Hilda sighed and laid the beast's head down again. With the last of her strength, she forced her hands into the position Marianne had shown her before and recited the spell. It was incredibly draining this time as she felt the energy leave her body. She wasn't sure she'd have the energy to do this again anytime soon. Still, the bleeding stopped and the beast seemed more comfortable and calm now. Hilda leaned against the wall and pulled the beast across her lap. She knew this was as far as she was able to move. There wasn't any way she was going to make it back upstairs. If the beast woke up again, it would just have to kill her. She was too tired to care.

She petted the beast gently, ruffling its soft ears and rubbing her thumb on the short fur between its eyes. "It'll be alright, Marianne," she murmured. The pain from her injuries was starting to overwhelm her. She was having trouble staying conscious. "It's okay... If anything else happens, I forgive you."

The sky was beginning to get brighter. The morning had finally reached them. Hilda wondered briefly how long she'd actually slept that night. It couldn't have been long at all. Her eyes fluttered closed and her hand rested limply on the beasts head. "Good morning, Marianne," she murmured. "Good... morning..."


	4. Day Dreaming

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i do want to say thanks for reading and leaving kudos on this. this is really just a self-indulgent little thing that i wanted to make. and it means a lot that people like it too.

_Hilda was bouncing in a carriage as she and another woman were being escorted somewhere. The woman was a beautiful blonde with amazingly bright sapphire eyes. Now and then her leg would shift over and bump Hilda's. "My apologies," she would say after every time. After the fourth time, Hilda caught on to her. Hilda wasn't one to say that blondes caught her fancy but blue eyes certainly did. Plus, if the woman was offering, who was Hilda to say no. Pretty noblewomen didn't just fall out of the sky, now did they? Hilda reached over and laid her hand high on the woman's thigh. The woman glanced over at her._

_Hilda's legs were wrapped around the woman's head. It was a little cramped inside the carriage and the bumpy road was making it hard for the woman to keep up any decent rhythm. Of course, that wasn't to say that Hilda wasn't enjoying herself immensely. When was the last time she'd been treated so well? She couldn't recall. Her hands tangled in the mass of blonde hair._

_Hilda was sitting across the table from the blonde woman. There were other faces down the line, but none of them seemed very clear to her. Where was she again? She glanced back over and the woman was gone. She was under the table touching Hilda in ways that were far too inappropriate in the company of others. It felt amazing. _

_Hilda was lying on her back in the dirt. Her body was in pain but it wasn't in any particular place. Her brain was just telling her she was in pain. It didn't seem to be able to get any more specific than that. The sky was blue, like the woman's eyes. The woman was above her. Was she even looking at the sky? There was a lance to Hilda's neck. The woman was crying. Why was she crying? Hilda couldn't remember._

_A faceless person came and knocked the woman off Hilda. She didn't scream or cry out. She could've said, 'Stop,' but she had no desire to. She only watched as the woman was killed instantly by the person who had come by to help her. She felt thankful to have been saved. She didn't feel any remorse for the woman who died. Should she have? The woman had been crying and had hesitated to kill her. _

_The faceless person approached her. It was Claude. She didn't know how she knew it was Claude; he didn't have a face. He held out his hand and she took it. He pulled her to her feet. He said something but Hilda didn't hear it. Her ears hurt._

_Hilda was standing over a body, covered in blood. Her armor was damaged. She was breathing heavily. She looked out over the field. There were many bodies. How many had she killed? How many was she responsible for? _

_The body at her feet coughed and Hilda involuntarily reacted. Her axe swung down. She didn't even have a say in the matter. The noise of flesh and bone splitting didn't bother her._

_Hilda stared in a mirror in horror. Blood dripped from her axe and her hands. She was covered in it, her armor stained the red of the enemies she fought. She knew it wasn't her blood. It wasn't her blood. It wasn't her—_

Hilda woke with a gasp. Tears were running down her cheeks. The dream was already fading from her mind but her heart was still thumping in her chest. She looked around the room quickly but found no immediate danger to her. Slowly, she counted to ten to calm herself down. She wiped the tears from her eyes and let herself relax again. It had been a while since she'd had a nightmare about the war, especially one so intense. She normally wasn't one to be plagued by them but they happened now and again. Perhaps all the terror and shock her body had endured over the past twenty-four hours had caused it. She had gone to sleep with her shoulder injured after all.

Her gaze wandered to the window and saw it rather bright out even with snow still drifting down from the hazy clouds. It must've been midday. She'd slept through the morning.

Marianne was back to normal—or at least her new normal—and had moved so she was curled up between Hilda's legs like a small pet. She was completely naked and shivered now and again. Hilda hadn't realized that the beast was naked; it had been covered in fur that obscured everything after all. She supposed she had found her life a little more important than worrying about Marianne's decency. 

Hilda shifted Marianne off of her as gently as she could. Her injured arm was completely immobile. Her shoulder was swollen and numbness radiated from it up her neck. Her whole body felt sore too and her back was tender. It must've been bruised from being thrown against the wall. She climbed to her feet, wincing as she did. She pulled a sheet off of one of the couches and laid it over Marianne. Hopefully, that would keep her a little bit warmer. She had probably been warm throughout the night either due to her fur or the fire going. Now the fire was dying out and Hilda stoked it to try and bring it back to life. She laid down another log on it and it started to rekindle. Heat began to seep into the room once again. Hilda limped her way into the kitchen.

Marianne hadn't exaggerated when she said there wasn't any food. All that was left was the stew that they had eaten for dinner. Hilda wondered how long Marianne had been sustaining herself on that now that it had come to her attention that it was the only edible thing left in the house. Marianne had probably made it to keep what food she had left from spoiling. Hilda's stomach growled. She still had some food left in her pack from her journey but it wasn't much. It certainly wasn't going to bide them any time. Still, a hunk of bread dipped in stew was a little different than plain stew.

Hilda walked back out into the living room. Marianne was sitting up, gazing out the window at the falling snow. Her hair was loose and it fell haphazardly around her shoulders. Her face was gaunt and she looked as tired as Hilda felt. The sheet was draped over her shoulders and exposed her chest fully. Hilda thought she looked like the subject of a painting, one that would be heralded as the pinnacle of art. She was beautiful. Almost like a fallen angel.

Marianne turned to look at her. She smiled kindly, large enough to reach her eyes. Even so, Hilda could see the pain through it. Marianne was suffering in ways Hilda couldn't even begin to understand.

"Good morning, Marianne," Hilda said gently as she approached her. She squatted down and held out her hand to Marianne as if she were a skittish animal. Marianne reciprocated by placing her hand in Hilda's. She noticed Marianne was shivering consistently now and her lips looked a blue. Perhaps Hilda could've done more to warm her. She pulled off her sweater and draped it over Marianne's shoulders. Marianne immediately pulled it tight around herself. "How are you feeling?"

Marianne didn't say anything. She gestured to her throat and rubbed it gently. She mouthed the word, 'Hurts.'

"Mmm," Hilda mused. "Nod or shake your head to my questions please." Marianne nodded. "Do you feel sick?" Marianne gave Hilda a wide-eyed look that seemed to say, 'I am sick but probably not how you mean. You should clarify so I can answer appropriately.' Hilda sighed. "Do you feel sick with something unrelated to your crest sickness?" A shake of her head. "Do you remember last night?" A shake. "Is your wound open?" Marianne looked down to check her stomach. She shook her head. "Are you hungry?" Several slow nods. Hilda sighed and pet Marianne's head gently. "I am too..."

Hilda sat back for a moment and thought. "I'll meet you in the bathroom. You need to get clean and we'll dress your wound appropriately. We'll figure out what to do once that's taken care of."

Marianne stood up and went off to the bathroom. She sidestepped over the blood by the staircase, shot a worried glance over her shoulder at Hilda, and then scurried along. Hilda got up again and went upstairs. She collected new clothes for Marianne to wear and joined her in the bathroom. 

Marianne was rinsing her hair out, it spilling over her shoulders and down her back. Hilda smiled at her. She looked peaceful again. Hilda wished she could feel even half the peace Marianne was at the moment.

Marianne turned toward her and smiled. Hilda could see her canines came to a sharp point in her mouth. She tried not to wince at the sight of them. She set the clothing down on the rack, undressed, and then joined Marianne on the stool beside her. 

Marianne tilted her head to the side. She pointed at her arm and then at Hilda's a look of concern on her face. She must've noticed how Hilda had struggled to get her clothes off and that she couldn't move it at all.

Hilda waved her good arm dismissively. "We got into a bit of a fight last night," Hilda said with a humorless chuckle. 

Marianne's eyes widened. She reached out to Hilda and ran a hand gingerly up her arm. Hilda shied away when her hand got close to her shoulder. Marianne grunted and scooted over so she was behind Hilda. She ran her hands over Hilda's shoulders and down her arms. She leaned in close to Hilda's ear and in a barely audible whisper said, "Is it numb?"

Hilda jumped slightly from how tender Marianne's voice was. "Y-Yeah," she murmured. "I can't move it at all."

Marianne ran her hand over Hilda's injured shoulder once more. "I think... dislocated," Marianne whispered. "Can put back... but it will hurt a lot."

"H-How bad?"

Marianne held up a towel and motioned her biting onto it. She offered it to Hilda.

Hilda let out a deep breath and stared blankly at the floor as she let that sink in. "That bad, huh? Yikes..." She sat up straighter and said with as much humor as she could muster, "Well, I need both arms! If I can move it after you put it back, then I guess let's do it." Hilda bit down on the towel and gave Marianne a thumbs up and a smile.

Marianne stood above her. She looked nervous and didn't seem to be buying Hilda's fake brave act. She leaned in and kissed Hilda's ear gently. "I'm really sorry," she whispered. Without waiting for Hilda to respond, she pushed her shoulder back into place.

Hilda nearly blacked out, the immediate pain incredibly intense. The towel was no help at all. Stars danced in her vision while she waited for the pain to subside. It took only a moment and her arm felt almost instantly better. She still couldn't move it much, but she knew she could now.

"Thank you, Marianne," Hilda said through her tears.

Marianne nodded. She wrapped the towel around Hilda's neck and made it into a makeshift sling. She kissed Hilda's ear again and whispered, "Don't move it much." She gripped Hilda's head gently in her hands and kissed the side of her head several more times.

Hilda knew they were apology kisses, but it had been a while since anyone had kissed her. Her dream earlier had succeeded in reminding her how lonely she was and she'd be lying if she said the kisses didn't feel amazing coming from Marianne. Even though Marianne was sort of the source of all of her problems at the moment.

"I guess I'll be going to the nearest town for food," Hilda murmured.

Marianne's face grew concerned. "The snow," she whispered urgently. "You're hurt. You'll get lost."

Hilda laughed. "Have a shred of faith in me, Marianne. Besides, if I don't, we'll just die of starvation." 

Marianne looked distressed. She wrapped her arms around Hilda's neck. "I'll go too..."

"Is that a good idea? As much as I don't want to keep you locked up in the estate you also don't remember last night at all. You went feral, Marianne. I'm not sure I want to risk you doing that in a town."

"Please, Hilda," Marianne murmured. She nuzzled her face into the crook of Hilda's neck.

Hilda's eyes fluttered shut. She was used to wrapping others around her finger, but somehow Marianne seemed to find her soft spots. She was stupid, she knew that, but Marianne wanted to go. She wasn't sure there was anything she could do to stop her. Really, she wanted the company as well. She was injured and her arm probably wouldn't move right for several days. She could use the help. "Alright. Fine. You can come."

She hoped she wouldn't come to regret that.


	5. So They Got on a Horse and They Rode Into Town

The snow wasn't as bad as Hilda had assumed it was going to be. She and Marianne had bundled themselves up in several layers. Marianne was dressed head to toe to cover up her fur. Hilda was as well just because she didn't like the cold, but it also helped Marianne's full attire seem a little less strange. They had packed several days' worth of clothing and what food was left in the house. Marianne had figured it would take them about half a day to get into town. She could make it there in an hour or so in good weather on foot, so she figured they would make fairly decent time on a horse in bad weather. Since most of the daylight was already gone, they would be traveling through the night. Neither of them posed any opposition to this as, if they were to wait until morning, they would only be even more hungry than they already were; they had come to a silent agreement that the journey would be harder the hungrier they got. 

Marianne was riding front as she knew her way around the woods better than Hilda did. Marianne would never admit it, but she had walked every inch of the forest at some point in her life or another. Hilda was also still extremely exhausted from the last two days and she wasn't sure if she would be able to keep her eyes open for the journey. The last thing they needed was her falling asleep at the wheel and driving the horse into a tree or off a cliff.

Hilda's eyes were already beginning to feel heavy as they started into the night. Marianne's back was soft and the heat radiating off of her was incredibly comforting. She wished she was in her bed and comfortable instead of riding in a winter storm on the back of a smelly horse. If Holst had never suggested this, she could've been wrapped up happily in her bed sleeping soundly. Then again, if she hadn't figured out what was going on with Marianne, she probably wouldn't have been able to sleep at all. Her grip on Marianne started to loosen and she leaned into her harder.

"Hilda, you're slipping."

Marianne's gentle yet hoarse voice roused her. Hilda sucked in a sharp breath and straightened up again. She rubbed her eyes and shook her head, trying to wake herself up. "Sorry." She tightened her arms around Marianne again, lacing her fingers together so it wouldn't be as easy for her to let go.

"Do you want to sleep?"

Hilda thought back to the nightmare she'd had earlier. She couldn't even begin to explain how exhausted she felt, but the idea of sleeping wasn't exactly appealing either. Although, if she slept now, then Marianne could rest during the day and Hilda would be able to keep an eye on her. Besides, if Marianne was offering, should she really pass it up? It wasn't like she was going to stay awake anyhow.

"I can strap you to me so you can at least rest. Your shoulder is probably still sore."

Hilda couldn't come up with any reason to say no. She nodded her head.

The girls switched positions on the horse. Hilda was in front now, facing Marianne. Marianne pressed her in close, covered her with a blanket, and then tied them together with a strap from her pack. It was a little awkward and makeshift but it would have to do. Hilda didn't mind, though. Marianne was practically an oven of warmth and the blanket, thin as it was, was keeping all of the snow off of her. For a bed on a horse, it was pretty serviceable. Hilda drifted off after only a few minutes.

Marianne felt Hilda go limp in her arms. She was only slightly surprised at how quickly Hilda had fallen asleep. She straightened up and held the reins properly; she _was_ balancing for two now. The horse was rather steady, though, walking in a remarkably straight line for how much snow there was. 

Marianne guided him to the left. They would take the shortcut through her property instead of taking the winding path that curved down the hilltop. It would potentially be more dangerous, but it would save them a lot of time. Marianne figured both of them needed food more than safety at the moment. Besides, Marianne trusted her instincts and her ability to navigate the woods forward and backward on even the darkest night. 

The night was quiet and a little bit lonely. The horse's hooves crunched through the snow at a steady pace and snow fell continuously showing no signs of letting up. The lulling consistency made Marianne's mind start to wander away from her.

She wondered what had happened last night. She recalled sending Hilda to bed and then walking the house to light the candles for her. She had made a fire in the living room and then laid on the couch to rest. The next thing she knew she was upstairs and Hilda was calling her from the living room. She didn't remember going upstairs but Hilda sounded distressed so she rushed to find her. 

Hilda was standing in front of the fireplace and holding a knife. Marianne didn't understand why. Her vision started to get blurry and the room began to spin. She stumbled forward toward Hilda. Hilda yelled that she was scared but Marianne could barely hear her. Her head felt like it was underwater. She mumbled that she was sorry but she didn't know what she was apologizing for. The last thing Marianne could vaguely recall was hearing Hilda say good morning.

Hilda had said that she'd gone feral but she didn't know what that meant. She hadn't pressed Hilda to explain either because she still felt bad about more than likely dislocating her shoulder and then popping it back into place. Hilda had seemed to be in a fog as well. Marianne had noticed she was a little dazed as they had dressed their wounds and gotten ready to depart. Marianne was pretty sure she knew why. The war hadn't been very kind to any of them and it wasn't strange that Hilda would still have off days. Marianne certainly did frequently.

Hilda stirred and buried her face deeper into Marianne's chest. Marianne blushed and wrapped her arm tighter around Hilda to keep her still. She allowed herself the tender moment, nuzzling her face in the top of Hilda's head just for a second.

Marianne couldn't remember a time when she didn't have affections for Hilda. Having been apart from her for so long had only made those feelings that much stronger. It was strange seeing Hilda again after over a year. They'd kept in touch fairly regularly but they had never made any plans to get together. They were both too busy with this and that and they could never seem to find the time. And then, out of completely nowhere, Hilda had practically fallen into Marianne's lap. Before she even had time to accept the fact that Hilda was with her again, they were bathing together. They'd bathed together as teens at the monastery, certainly, but now it was different. Marianne wasn't sure how to put it, but Hilda seemed more available to her now. Maybe it was because they were older or because the content of Hilda's letters and her extravagant gifts made it very clear how lonely she was. Marianne wouldn't exactly call it pining but it wasn't not some form of flattery. However, if it was directed at her or if it was just a way for Hilda to get it out of her system, she wasn't sure.

She knew Hilda had had relations with women. Plenty of them to be exact. Hilda had fairly high standards but if anyone passed them she was very easy to get into bed with. It hurt a bit because she'd never seemed to show an interest in Marianne. She was just... Marianne, she supposed. A friend to help her clean up any messes she didn't want to deal with and being there for her when she cried over a lover. Marianne recalled on more than one occasion walking up to Hilda's room and watching some girl stumble out. She would walk in and Hilda was half-naked in bed with her hair a mess. Marianne would smile weakly but her heart would ache. Why couldn't she have Hilda's affections like that?

Marianne couldn't even be bitter about it though. Sure, it hurt her but it wasn't like she wanted Hilda to get involved with her life. Now that she was it had caused them both nothing but pain. She'd never even told or hinted to Hilda that she liked her. The girls that Hilda usually slept with were much more forthright in their intentions, generally confessing their love and then carrying Hilda up to her room. 

Marianne could never be like that. She was far too shy. She liked Hilda but... well, Hilda could like anyone. There wasn't any reason that Hilda should or would like her back. Hilda had options. She was beautiful and lively. She had things that people looked for in a lover whereas Marianne was just... Marianne. She was that girl who never spoke and who prayed to the goddess too much. She was the girl who spent more time speaking to the horses than speaking to others. Sure, she had grown closer to her classmates over the years but that didn't change the fact that she was sure she would die alone. She knew her place and she couldn't imagine that it would be anywhere near Hilda's side. 

Hilda stirred again, her grip on Marianne tightening. She started to mumble incoherently and would twitch now and again. Marianne wondered what she was dreaming so vividly about. She hoped it wasn't a nightmare. To be safe, she leaned in close to her ear and whispered, "Everything is okay, Hilda. Rest." 

"M-Marianne," Hilda mumbled as her hands gripped onto Marianne's clothing.

Marianne looked down thinking she had accidentally woken Hilda up. She was still soundly asleep and had settled down again. Her grip had loosened a bit and she seemed to have relaxed into Marianne. Marianne gave her a gentle look. Perhaps she could be a little selfish. 

"I love you, Hilda," she murmured. "I love you more than my own life." She blushed after saying it. Maybe confessing your affections to someone who was asleep was cowardly; but still, her heart was thumping. She'd never said those words out loud before. Her lips tingled. She said it again, "I love you, Hilda." She felt almost giddy, her head buzzing with excitement. She'd known she loved Hilda for so long but saying it made it real. She loved her. She loved her. She loved her.

The sun was beginning to come up and the sky lightened. The snow had stopped a little while ago and the clouds were beginning to break up, letting in the first bit of sunlight Marianne had seen in days. Marianne pulled the horse to a stop for a brief rest and she stretched her arms up as far as they could go, making sure to balance Hilda on her lap carefully. Hilda had slept the entire journey thus far and they were very close to town now. Marianne was starting to feel a little drowsy but her hunger was pushing her forward. She just needed a little something to wake her up.

"Hilda, can you sit up so I can get off?" Marianne said as she started to untie Hilda from herself.

Hilda grumbled some rude words. She shifted and sat up but Marianne wasn't sure she was fully conscious of doing so. Marianne slid off of the horse and then helped Hilda lie down again. Hilda started to snore softly and Marianne chuckled. She really hadn't woken up at all.

Marianne grabbed horse treats from her pack and offered them to the horse. He took them greedily. "You must be hungry too, huh?" She ran her hands down his muzzle and gave him a quick peck on the side of his head. "We'll be in town soon, so you'll be able to rest and get warm. You've been such a good boy."

Marianne blew into her hands and rubbed them quickly to warm them up. Although the snow had let up, the temperature certainly hadn't warmed any. She jumped up and down several times to get the blood pumping through her body again. After stretching a few more times, she stepped away from the horse to get her bearings. The town was just southeast of them. She could smell it faintly. The smell of smoke and people and food. Her mouth was watering at the thought of biting into anything warm and meaty. Her stomach growled loudly.

The horse made a nervous noise and she heard him paw at the snow. She glanced back and he was staring at her with wide, nervous eyes. 

"What's wrong?" Marianne said as gently as she could. The horse's terror was making her nervous. What could he sense that she didn't? 

She moved slowly towards him and he started to get antsier. She jumped forward to try and grab the reins. The horse bucked and neighed loudly. Hilda was dumped off into the snow with an ungraceful plop. The horse ran off and Marianne just stared after him in disbelief, her mouth hanging open as she watched him disappear into the trees.

Hilda poked her head out of the snow looking half terrified and half irritated. She looked up at Marianne. "What happened?!"

Marianne felt hot. She could already feel tears starting to spring to her eyes. She had really messed up this time. "I... I think I scared him... I started thinking about food and... I'm sorry."

Hilda still looked irritated. She stood up and brushed what snow she could off of her. She shot Marianne a somewhat dark look. "How far are we?"

"N-Not far," Marianne said, trying to sound optimistic.

"Guess we're walking." Hilda picked up Marianne's pack and shoved it into her arms. "Come on." She started to trudge through the snow.

"It's-It's th-this way," Marianne said quietly. Her voice cracked a bit but she tried to hide it.

Hilda, without missing a beat, changed direction and trudged the way Marianne had indicated. Marianne fell into step behind her.

It didn't take them long to march into town. It would've been faster had they had the horse but neither of them said a word about it. Hilda knew she was radiating irritation. In her defense, she'd been woken up rudely and her heart was still thudding in her chest from anxiety. Her nerves were frayed and her shoulder hurt. If Marianne weren't already the one crying, she would've cried herself. 

As they marched through the snow, Hilda checked behind her shoulder periodically to make sure Marianne was still behind her. Marianne was having trouble walking and keeping pace. She would stumble every few steps and almost fell off the path several times. Hilda figured she must've been tired and just wasn't letting on as to not make Hilda worry. There was no way Hilda would've been able to carry her so she did her best stomping down the snow as she went to make it easier for Marianne.

Seeing town was like seeing an oasis in a desert. Hilda wanted to run towards it but neither of them were in any shape to do any running. As they entered, the town was bustling with movement. People were clearing snow, chopping wood, selling extravagant wares, playing outside. They were just everywhere. It almost seemed like there hadn't been a blizzard going on and it was just a normal day of the week. Hilda grabbed Marianne's hand to keep her close so she wouldn't fall behind in the crowd. They slipped into the nearest inn.

The inn was warm and lively. People were packed into the dining area, drinking and laughing. It was incredibly loud and Hilda could barely hear herself think. She smelled warm food and her stomach growled. She took a deep breath and went up to the man behind the counter. 

"Hello, we need a room for at least the evening if not longer," she said.

The man behind the counter laughed. "Sorry, no rooms here, missy."

Hilda frowned "What?"

"Got a lot of people in from out of town for the festival," he responded with a shrug.

Hilda made a frustrated noise. "Isn't there anything you have? Please?" She looked at Marianne who was staring firmly at the ground. "My partner and I, we've been traveling... She's with child, you see. We desperately need a room." This made Marianne snap her head up. She gripped Hilda's hand tighter.

The man behind the counter looked awkwardly between the two of them. "Really, I'd love to help. I don't have anything for you."

"Money isn't an object. Please. Anything." She pulled a fistful of coins out of her bag and rested them on the counter.

The man sighed. "I have something I can do for you."

The room was more of a closet than an actual room. There was a small bed shoved into the corner, a table beside it, and a rickety old chair that looked like it might fall apart if someone tried to sit in it. The innkeeper said he would have his staff drop off fresh linens for them. He also said if there was anything he could do for the pregnant one to make her more comfortable just let him know. He knew the room wasn't ideal but out of the kindness of his heart, he was letting them stay so they wouldn't be in the cold. Hilda just shooed him off telling him they would definitely let him know if they needed anything.

Hilda sat Marianne down on the bed. It creaked ominously, but she ignored it. Marianne looked weary and she was shivering. Her eyes were red from crying and her facemask was covered in tears and snot. Hilda squatted down in front of her and pulled her mask down. She was still crying and Hilda wiped her tears.

"What's wrong, Marianne?"

Marianne swallowed and looked away. She let out a sob and started to cry harder. Hunger and exhaustion had finally caught up with her. She wasn't upset about any one thing enough to be crying, but the compounded problems had brought her to her boiling point.

"I can't help you if you don't tell me what's wrong," Hilda said a little more sternly. 

This only succeeded in making Marianne cry harder. Hilda suddenly felt sorry for her parents having to deal with her tantrums as a child. She must've been an absolute pain. She wiped away Marianne's tears again and ran a hand through her hair. 

"I'm going to get you something to eat," Hilda said gently. "I will be right back. Change your clothes while I'm gone. You're soaked. Try to get into the driest thing we have on us." Without waiting for a response, she left the room.

The dining hall was bursting with activity. Hilda tried to remember what day it was but her brain was too fried to think of anything but food. She walked to the kitchen and the staff greeted her kindly. They said something about making sure the baby got fed and how the festival was a good time for sharing then gave her an immensely large plate of food. It took everything she had to not devour it right then and there. She could feel her mouth start to water as she walked. The room seemed incredibly far.

Marianne was just finishing changing her clothes when she got back. She was in a simple sweater and pants, but she looked comfortable and warm. She had tucked herself up in the corner of the bed and eyed Hilda wearily when she walked into the room. When she noticed the plate of food, tears jumped into her eyes again.

It didn't take more than a few minutes for more than half of the plate to be gone. For garbage inn food, it sure tasted like the most magnificent meal either of them had ever had in their lives. Though they both could've stuffed themselves more they didn't want to make themselves sick. Marianne was laid out on the bed and Hilda had taken up position on the floor once they finished eating. 

"Should I heal your shoulder?" Marianne asked after a few long moments of silence between them. "I'm sure it still hurts."

"If you can," Hilda said looking up at her from the floor. "Don't push yourself."

Marianne shook her head and sat on the bed. She had Hilda remove her shirt and scoot back between her legs. Slowly, she moved her hands down Hilda's neck to her shoulders and down her back. The bruising and swelling went down immediately after her touch. Hilda's shoulders relaxed and she let out a large sigh of relief.

"Thank you, Marianne." Hilda moved her arms in wide circles. They felt amazing. She'd forgotten how good magical healing could feel. She turned and rested her chin on Marianne's knee. "What day is it, by the way?"

Marianne looked thoughtful. She ran her hands absently through Hilda's hair. "Saint Cichol day, I think...? I'm not quite sure what day it is, to be honest..."

Hilda nodded. "I think you're right. Is there usually a festival for that?"

Marianne shrugged. "The town has one every year but I do believe it's more for the sake of eating and drinking a lot than anything else. Mostly drinking."

Hilda sighed wistfully. "Too bad it isn't a day for falling in love. It's been a while and Holst has this new girl on his side all the time. She's so gross and they're so gross together, y'know? Maybe I'm just bitter and lonely."

"I know how that feels," Marianne muttered under her breath.

"What was that?"

"Nothing. Nothing," Marianne said quickly. She smiled softly and cupped Hilda's face in her hand. "I just am sorry that you haven't found the right person yet. Any man would be lucky to have you."

"Guh men..." Hilda rolled her eyes. "I guess they're fine but they're terrible in bed. They'd be lucky to have me but I'd be worse off with them."

"Do you... care a lot about... _that_ sort of thing?"

"What? About the sex?"

Marianne blushed and nodded.

Hilda shrugged nonchalantly. "It's nice to have a partner who makes things easy. Men are so... put a penis inside some hole you have, last a few minutes, then leave you with the cleanup. I've never had a woman treat me anything less than a goddess. I suppose if whoever I ended up with had a good enough personality I could train them to be good in bed. That requires a lot of work though."

"I've only ever had sex with men... I wouldn't know if I'm good or bad with women."

"Would you like to find out?" Hilda asked raising her eyebrows. She laughed. "I'm joking." She walked her fingers up Marianne's thigh. "Unless..." She laughed again and pulled her hand away. "Okay, I really am joking. You should get some rest. You had a long night." She got up from the floor and started to dig through her bag as if nothing had happened between them.

Marianne watched her for a moment, her mouth slightly open in awe. Slowly, she laid back down on the bed, rolling over to face the wall. How was she supposed to rest when Hilda had just made her heart burst?


	6. Not Quite There Yet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank y'all for all the kind comments on the last chapter. It fuels me <3
> 
> Quick TW for self-harm near the end of this chapter. It's nothing too graphic however I will mark the beginning of both paragraphs were it is described with a - and then end them with a - in case anyone would like to skip that part of the story.  
Those who don't please disregard them as they do not make the story read any differently. For those who do want to skip, I will add a small note at the end with a brief description and the important quotes from the paragraphs so you don't miss out!
> 
> Happy reading everyone! I hope you enjoy.

Hilda was rifling through her bag pretending to look busy and casual for several minutes until she glanced over her shoulder and noticed that Marianne was breathing evenly. Hilda gripped at her chest and let out a long breath she didn't realize she was holding. Her heart had yet to settle down. _Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Why did you say that?! Stupid! So dumb! UGH._ Marianne had given her the biggest wide-eyed look she'd ever seen. She must've been horrified that Hilda would even suggest they sleep together. 

Hilda's face was burning up from embarrassment. If she died now, she would be okay with it. There was no way she could go on after blundering through that. And what was Marianne even going to say to that? Yes? She had paws for hands! Paws!

Hilda bit her thumb as she thought about it. She supposed they could get around the paw thing, but it wouldn't be easy. Plus, Marianne had huge claws that would easily scratch her. Although, maybe that wouldn't be the worst thing if she didn't dig them in too hard. It might even feel a little nice. Marianne's sharp teeth nipping at her shoulder wouldn't be so bad either. And Marianne's fur was soft and silky. She wondered if Marianne would like it if she ran her hands through it and held her hand...

She shook her head quickly, knocking herself out of her daydream. _Whoa, you're getting ahead of yourself there, Hilda. Keep it together._ It wasn't going to happen so there was no use fantasizing about it. She pulled a sweater on and dragged the chair over to the bed. She sat on it backward, easing herself as slowly as she could onto it. Thankfully, it didn't break under her. She rested her head on the back of the chair and watched Marianne. She didn't have anything else to do and her only working theory on when Marianne turned into the beast was when she was asleep. The last thing they needed was her terrorizing the inn.

Hilda sat for about ten minutes before her eyes started to feel heavy. Watching Marianne sleep was boring. Marianne wasn't twitching in her sleep or doing anything even remotely interesting. She was just breathing softly, which Hilda supposed was good but not very thrilling. Hilda rested her head in her hand and clicked her nails against the back of the chair. Maybe she could close her eyes for just a second. That couldn't hurt, right? Marianne didn't seem to be doing anything weird. Nothing was going to happen. She crossed her arms on the back of the chair and laid her head down. _Just a moment_, she thought. _Don't actually fall asleep_. 

Hilda woke up to hot breath being blown into her face. Her eyes opened and she was face-to-face with the bright, yellow eyes of the beast. She fell backward out of the chair with a quiet yelp. The beast walked over and pinned her gently down to the floor.

Hilda's immediate shock was already beginning to die down. Even if it was a horrifying beast, it was just Marianne underneath it. She was practically harmless; the only dangerous quality she had was being a strong monster that was easily excited. It seemed quite tame at the moment as well. Its tail was wagging happily and it shoved its face into Hilda's, licking her mercilessly.

Hilda brought her hands up to her face to try and protect herself. "Gross! Stop! Your breath smells like a dog's!" she said through her giggles. She managed to shove the beast's head away from her. "Get off of me. You scared me half to death." She pushed up against it and it rolled onto the floor next to her. Hilda sat up and rolled her eyes. "You're so naughty, Marianne. Get back to bed." 

The beast laid its ears back and gave her sad puppy eyes. Hilda shook her head at it and pointed at the bed. It laid halfway on its back, whimpered as it clutched its chest, and then let its tongue loll out of its mouth as it relaxed against the floor. Was it pretending to be dead just to ignore her? Hilda was impressed by the theatrics of it all.

Hilda made an overexaggerated, offended noise. "Marianne!" she said through a laugh. "Get back to bed and go to sleep before I make you."

The beast must've taken that as a challenge because it climbed back to its feet and pushed Hilda against the floor again. She let out a small, 'oof,' as this time it was more forceful. Not enough to hurt but enough for it to mean business. It opened its mouth and put it around her neck. She didn't stop it as it didn't seem to want to hurt her and she couldn't help but be curious as to where this was going.

She felt its large fangs brush against her skin. Its tongue flicked against her neck and Hilda shivered. It tightened its jaws around her just enough for Hilda to feel its teeth poke into her and begin to squeeze her. It was only slightly uncomfortable. Its claws started to dig into her shoulders. She froze up as its teeth sunk in deeper. It didn't break the skin, but the grip was starting to hurt. It felt like there was static in her brain. The same kind of numbness one felt if they sat on a limb too long except inside her entire head. She felt oddly relaxed like she wasn't quite inside of herself anymore. Its tongue flicked against her skin again. It was warm and slippery but Hilda could barely feel it. The teeth tightened to a bruising pressure. Its tongue pressed against her windpipe and she was now finding it hard to breathe. 

"That's enough," Hilda finally said quietly after letting the beast hold her for several moments. She didn't move a muscle, afraid that a sudden movement could startle it. "Please don't hurt me."

The beast pulled away and licked her neck gently. Her head instantly cleared and she was able to breathe again. The tension in her body started to ease. Even though she was fairly certain the beast wasn't going to hurt her intentionally, it was terrifying. At the same time, she could've stopped it at any moment and didn't. She wiped the saliva off of her neck. It was tender to the touch and she could feel the imprints from where its teeth were.

Hilda eyed the beast. It had moved to sit beside her and was biting at its paw pads now. It didn't seem to have much of an agenda. Hilda scooted closer to it. She reached up, grabbed it around the neck, and wrestled it gently to the floor, making fake grunts of exertion and telling it what a strong, horrid beast it was. It only fought her a little, letting itself be taken down with relative ease. Hilda sat on top of it and pinned it down as it had to her. Once it was down, it closed its eyes and exposed its neck to her. 

"You know you're pretty cute like this," Hilda said softly. "Well, when you're calm at least." She pulled at its cheeks and squished its face. It looked so dopey. "If this was something I had to deal with, I don't think I would be unhappy." Hilda scratched under its jaw with both of her hands, making soft cooing noises at it. The beast's tail thumped happily against the floor.

There was a soft knock on the door and a woman's voice singsonged, "Housekeeping."

Hilda looked at the door and swore quietly under her breath. Of all the inopportune times that someone could come to check on them. She got up and looked sternly at the beast. "Stay quiet, got it?" The beast only gave her a tired look. She would have to roll with it. She bounced over to the door and opened it only a crack.

The housekeeper was holding new blankets, pillows, and sheets for them. "I've brought these along. I brought extra sheets. Thought you may need them. Leave any dirty ones outside." The housekeeper shot her an almost too knowing look.

Hilda realized they were being somewhat loud in a room that was right down the hall from where the staff worked out of. When she was wrestling the beast, that could've easily been misconstrued to anyone overhearing outside. She was also fairly certain her neck was beginning to bruise already.

Hilda laughed awkwardly. "We definitely will," she said as she took the pile from the housekeeper. The beast came up behind her and pushed its muzzle between her legs. She jumped letting out a small squeak of surprise. She quickly pushed it back, hoping the housekeeper hadn't seen it. She laughed again and gave the housekeeper an even more awkward smile. "S-Sorry."

The housekeeper smiled and winked at her. "I'll leave you two be. Let us know if we can do anything for you."

Hilda shut the door and leaned against it. She supposed it wasn't horrible for someone to think they were having sex, but what kind of sex was that woman imagining? Hilda had never called anyone a stinky beast before; and, if she were going to, it would most certainly be a man and not a woman as fair as Marianne. That would just be cruel. Besides, there was no way that Marianne was anything like a beast in bed metaphorically. Physically, well, the case could be made.

The beast had crossed the room and was gobbling up what leftover food was on the plate. "W-Wait, Marianne, there are... bones in there," Hilda said as she went over to the beast and grabbed its scruff. Her warning came a little too late as the beast cleaned the plate and Hilda was only successful in pulling it back from licking it. Hilda sighed.

The beast wiggled out of Hilda's grasp and climbed back up into bed. It started to clean its paws and then yawned. It licked its lips several times as its eyes began to close.

Hilda brought the blankets and pillows over. She made the bed as best she could and then climbed in beside the beast, covering them both up with a thick blanket. She ruffled its ears. "You're such a naughty, naughty beast. Now sleep until you're ready to be a good girl again."

The beast closed its eyes with a huff. Hilda wasn't sure if Marianne could hear her or not, but the beast seemed like it was tired. She wrapped her arms around its neck and brought it tight to her. It smelled like dust and dog, but she buried her face into its fur nonetheless. It was so warm and soft, Hilda felt like she was on a cloud.

"Sleep well, Marianne."

Marianne woke up feeling very groggy. She felt like she'd had a strange dream where Hilda was pinching her cheeks and calling her cute but she couldn't quite recall it fully. She was bundled up underneath a heavy blanket and, when she went to shift, found Hilda tightly wrapped around her. One of her arms was tucked under Marianne's head and the other was over her torso, her hand loosely cupping Marianne's naked breast. Marianne blushed brightly and pushed Hilda off of her. When had she become naked? She pulled the blanket around herself.

Hilda woke up with a grunt. She sat up and let out a big yawn. "What's going on?" She glanced over at Marianne. "Oh, you're back." She smiled sleepily but it faded quickly. "What's wrong?"

"Did you... did you undress me?" Marianne asked sheepishly. She was almost positive the answer was no, but her head still felt fuzzy giving her a seed of doubt.

Hilda shook her head quickly. "No, no! You turned into the beast again and... you're naked when you do, I guess. I've never actually seen you change either way so I don't really know that much about it. But I didn't do it, I swear. I would never do that to you, Marianne."

Marianne pulled the blanket tighter around herself and looked away. Her stomach churned with revulsion for the beast. It got to have all the fun with Hilda, didn't it? The vague dream she recalled had probably happened, but she had been the beast. She wanted to actually feel Hilda's hands on her, not just a weird after imagine that she had to view from underwater. What was with that bruising on Hilda's neck too? Did they get into another fight? She wasn't even sure she wanted to know.

Hilda gave Marianne a soft and apologetic look. "I'm really sorry about joking about sleeping with you," Hilda murmured. "That was uncalled for and I'm sure it made you uncomfortable. I won't do it again and I promise I won't do anything to you."

Marianne felt even more hurt. It stung hearing Hilda refer to it as a joke. Was Marianne just a joke to her? And did she mean she would never be interested in doing anything to Marianne ever? Marianne knew somewhere in the back of her mind that she was overreacting, but even so, she couldn't stop herself from tumbling over the edge. Her emotions were going haywire and Hilda was flooding her senses.

"I'm going out to get a drink," Marianne said abruptly. She got out of bed and started to get dressed again.

"I'll go wi—"

"Don't follow me," Marianne snapped, cutting Hilda off. She looked down at her feet instantly feeling bad for having reacted so harshly. She added, "I'm sorry. I just... can't be around you right now." With that, Marianne grabbed her bag and left the room. She slammed the door behind her.

Marianne scurried down the hall trying to hold back tears. Hilda was so stupid. Did she not realize that Marianne liked her at all? That every time she flirted with her in such a joking manner, it hurt more than the wound on her stomach. It had been fine when they were kids and Marianne could get away from her, but being around Hilda with no reprieve had sent her emotions into overdrive. It didn't help either that the beast's senses made Hilda the center of her attention at all times. There wasn't a moment when she couldn't see, smell, or hear Hilda. It was driving her crazy to the point of making her sick.

Why didn't Hilda love her? What was wrong with her? Was it because of her stupid crest? If she could rip it out of her body, she would. She would trade her disgusting legs and arms for none at all. If she gouged her eyes out, would Hilda not be scared of them? Why couldn't she just die? 

\- A memory jumped vividly into her mind. She was in her bathroom at home. Her hands were shaking as she held the sword of her ancestor in them. Tears were rolling down her cheeks but she refused to sob. She pushed the sword into her stomach and dragged it down. It was the worst physical pain she'd ever experienced. She didn't make a noise. This is what she wanted. She wanted to die. It's why she stayed behind. It's why she'd sent the staff away. She couldn't take it anymore. The crest. The curse. It was driving her insane. She had thought things were okay, she really did. But once the war ended she realized she was useless to everyone around her again. She had no purpose. They all abandoned her. She was just a horrid girl with a horrid crest, unlovable and unwilling to bring a child into the world to suffer as she did. -

She sunk against the side of the tub, the sword tumbling out of her hand. Her vision started to go black and she prayed that the goddess would take her quickly. The pain would be worth it if she got to see the goddess's smiling face greet her in the afterlife. The goddess would see how much she had suffered and welcome her child in a warm embrace. Marianne felt blissful for the first time in a long time. She closed her eyes.

When they reopened, she realized she was still in her bathroom. She caught a glimpse of herself in the bathroom mirror. She was a fur-covered monster sitting in a pool of her blood. She was licking her wound but not of her own accord. The beast she had become was acting without her consent and she was only able to see the world through the shimmery lens of its eyes.

It had saved her life. She knew it couldn't let her die or it would die as well. What a repulsive parasite it was. She was furious that her crest could do something as amazing as keeping her alive. It seemed it would never be anything more than a curse upon her. She wanted to cry like she had when she was a child. To throw a tantrum and have someone pay attention to her. She couldn't even move her own body now. Her vision started to get blurrier. The beast was shoving her down deeper. She couldn't fight it.

Marianne found herself naked in the woods just beyond her house. She was shivering from the cold and was partially buried in the snow. When she pulled her hands out from under the snow, she saw they were covered in fur and had turned into something that resembled paws more than human hands. She screamed and fell backward. Her feet kicked in the air and they too were now misshapen and paw-like. Her breathing started to come in short, sharp waves. She had to get inside the house.

She was barely able to stand. Her new legs didn't work how they were supposed to. She practically crawled her way back to the estate. She made it to the kitchen and fell against the counter. She stumbled around the kitchen until she found a knife.

\- She didn't know how long she'd been out, but her wound was mostly healed now. It was just a nasty looking line of scar tissue. She cut herself open again, following the red line. If the beast wasn't going to let her die, she was going to make damn well sure she made living as hard as possible. She clung to the kitchen counter as the blood drained out of her. Her claws scraped against the countertop and she fell to her knees. She couldn't help but cry. It should've been over. She knew what was coming. Her vision went dark again. -

Marianne stumbled out of the inn, her mind swirling. She hadn't realized she had repressed the memories of what had happened. Was the beast protecting her from herself by making her forget everything? She didn't want to forget it. Why was she remembering now? How many times had she opened the wound before she forgot it was her that was doing it? Had she opened it right before Hilda had arrived? She couldn't remember. Her head hurt immensely. She felt like she was learning things she wasn't supposed to be. 

It had become dark out. People were still drinking and singing in the streets. Marianne's senses were completely overwhelmed. Her ears were ringing. The stench of alcohol made her gag. Everything smelled so bad. She wanted to be home in her bed. She wanted everything to be quiet and dark. She wanted to be in Hilda's arms. She stumbled down an alleyway and sunk to her knees. She was sobbing uncontrollably. Her whole body hurt. She felt like she was going to explode.

She was suddenly very aware as to why the beast took over every chance it got. It was trying to save her life again. It was trying to court Hilda in whatever way it felt necessary. It was doing things that Marianne was too afraid to do herself. She figured its logic was if Hilda loved her she would be safe. Marianne's blurry visions of Hilda petting her and treating her nicely were the beast allowing her to see that Hilda accepted her. Marianne felt disgusted with herself. 

She knew that's what she wanted. In the end, she was the beast whether she liked it or not. It was just some version of her deep subconscious she would never get rid of. No matter how much she wished she were dead, she would always have the beast telling her she wanted to live. No matter how much she wished Hilda would hate her, the beast was there to tell her she didn't. She wished she didn't have to listen to it.

Hilda deserved better than her. They didn't belong together. Hilda thought she was a joke. They could never be together. Marianne was going to die alone, a horrible beast, just as the goddess intended. Why else would she curse her?

A dark thought entered her mind. Maybe if she just let go the beast would kill itself. In the middle of town, a beast would be a horrible sight. All she had to do was bring it out. She searched her pack quickly and found a small blade. She swallowed hard.

"I'm so sorry, Hilda. Please forgive me. I love you..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Here's what you missed.
> 
> Marianne is suddenly confronted with a vivid memory. We find out that the wound across her body was self-inflicted. "It's why she stayed behind. It's why she'd sent the staff away. She couldn't take it anymore. The crest. The curse. It was driving her insane. She had thought things were okay, she really did. But once the war ended she realized she was useless to everyone around her again. She had no purpose. They all abandoned her. She was just a horrid girl with a horrid crest, unlovable and unwilling to bring a child into the world to suffer as she did."
> 
> "She didn't know how long she'd been out, but her wound was mostly healed now. It was just a nasty looking line of scar tissue." We learn that the reason Marianne's wound wasn't healing was that she was keeping it open. "If the beast wasn't going to let her die, she was going to make damn well sure she made living as hard as possible." "Her claws scraped against the countertop and she fell to her knees. She couldn't help but cry. It should've been over. She knew what was coming. Her vision went dark again."
> 
> And that about sums it up!


	7. Take Me To Church

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took a little bit of time to get up aha  
The next chapter will probably be shorter so it should go up sooner but I also make no promises!
> 
> BTW this gets a little Spicy at the end hence the mature rating.
> 
> Happy reading <3

Hilda was tossing an apple into the air as she laid on the bed of the inn. She hadn't followed Marianne because she figured that would only make matters with her worse. She was also still confused as to why Marianne was mad at her at all and thought it best to let Marianne cool down until she could discuss the matter like an adult. Hilda was still wracking her brain for what she had done wrong so she could apologize for doing whatever it was. Maybe she shouldn't have crawled in bed with the beast when she knew that, technically, it was Marianne naked. Perhaps that was what had upset her. It must've been too soon because of what she had said about them having sex. She winced. Maybe she was really that stupid.

She realized that she wasn't very good at reading Marianne. Hilda had, in general, become very good at reading people and she would use that to her advantage to get them to do what she wanted. Perhaps all of her miscommunications with Marianne were do to her trying to outsmart her and think three steps ahead. Marianne didn't always walk the way she was supposed to. Hilda rarely accounted for that.

Now that she thought about it, from an outside perspective it would look like the two girls were practically strangers or that they hardly liked each other. It had always been like that. Hilda made a noise of frustration. How was she supposed to even know what Marianne was feeling? It wasn't like Marianne was an open book waiting to be read. One had to practically pry her emotions out of her! Still...

Hilda sighed. As soon as Marianne got back, she would talk to her. She wanted to clear up everything between them and apologize. She would tell her the truth about how she felt and then offer her an extended stay at the Goneril mansion for as long as she wanted—or at the very least for the rest of the winter until her family returned. 

Hilda nodded to herself. She hoped her plan would clear the air and things could go forward in their semi-normal way. She wasn't ready to lose Marianne just yet. She was willing to push down her pride, get on her knees, and beg for forgiveness if she had to.

She tossed the apple up into the air. There was a loud crash from down the hall, followed by a scream, and then more people shouting. The apple knocked Hilda in the head as she turned to look at the door. Loud, thudding footsteps were coming quickly towards her. They sounded all too familiar and Hilda's heartbeat was already starting to pick up. Before she could move, the door was practically thrown off its hinges and the beast stood in its place, panting heavily.

It was bleeding from the wound on its body again. Blood dripped from it onto the floor in large droplets. Hadn't Marianne closed it? It looked panicked and its heavy breathing was only in part due to the running around it was doing. Its eyes were wide saucers filled with fear.

"What are you doing?" Hilda hissed through her teeth. "Are you insane?!"

"Help me, Hilda. Please help me," it whimpered, taking a step forward into the room.

Hilda sprung off the bed and grabbed her pack. It sounded like people were starting to come down the hall. It seemed they were apprehensive to make their gambit but their fear would only hold them off for so long. Hilda looked around the room quickly. The only way out was the way they'd come in. She looked back at the beast. "Drag me out of here. Drag me out of here like you're a monster."

The beast shook its head. "I don't want to hurt you."

"Do it!" Hilda shouted. She screamed as loud as she could; and, as she did, she heard the people in the hallway begin to pick up speed.

The beast looked behind it and then back at Hilda. With seemingly no other option, it let out a low growl of frustration and sprung forward, grabbing Hilda's shoulder in its mouth. Its teeth sunk deep into her flesh. Hilda let out a pained yelp, her hands clawing at the beast's muzzle despite herself. It practically flung her through the doorway and into the hall. Hilda hit the wall and stumbled a few steps, only barely able to catch herself. She clutched her now bleeding shoulder. For the beast saying it didn't want to hurt her, it sure wasn't holding back. She glanced down the hall noticing two men holding kitchen utensils and looking quite scared. They gestured for her to come to them. She limped several steps toward them.

The beast stepped out behind her. She didn't look back but from the look on the men's faces, it must've been horrifying. Hilda could only imagine what it looked like with blood dripping from its jaws. She understood why it bit her now. Suddenly, Hilda was grabbed around the waist and she gasped, her fear response pushing through. She was flung over the beast's shoulder and then it took off down the hall.

It sprinted past the men, bowling them over easily, and then burst into the dining room which had been mostly cleared except for several more people holding makeshift weapons. The beast pulled to a stop, slipping on the floor, and dumping Hilda off of its back. The people moved in closer, one person sneaking around to try and reach Hilda. The beast growled at them, something low, deep, and horrible. Hilda saw it show its fangs. The people in the room seemed uncertain but held their ground. The room was in a stalemate for several seconds. No one dared to move. Suddenly, the beast grabbed Hilda awkwardly around the waist again and the two bundled out the door into the street. 

It tripped as it went through the doorway, dumping Hilda into the snow and sprawling itself out into the street. It picked itself up and shook out its fur. People had gathered around the inn now, wondering about the chaos that was going on inside. Hilda noticed that in the gathered crowd there were more experienced looking soldiers. Some even appeared to be knights she recognized from the monastery. They were in trouble now. The knights would not hesitate to kill the beast and their weapons were all too real.

Hilda climbed to her feet again. She tried to get the beast's attention to calm it down, but it seemed too scared to notice her. A javelin went flying past Hilda and narrowly missed the beast. It howled in pain and brought its paws up to its cheek. Blood dripped from a newly opened wound. It stumbled backward and suddenly a rope was thrown around its neck. It made a strangled sound as another rope was thrown over its head.

Two men kept the ropes taught. It was clear they were struggling to keep the beast still as it thrashed back and forth making a horrific braying sound that broke Hilda's heart. A third person emerged from the crowd, their sword drawn. The beast cried in terror as it caught sight of the weapon. It fought harder but Hilda could see that the ropes were starting to cut into its skin. It would strangle itself before it was able to get free.

"Keep it still," the woman with the sword ordered. "I will take it down."

Hilda watched in horror as the woman approached the beast. She stumbled forward a few steps. "Don't hurt her!" she cried. "She's not dangerous." Her knees gave out from under her and she fell back into the snow.

Another person from the crowd took Hilda in their arms. It was the housekeeper from earlier. "It hurt you," she said. "You must be delirious. Please come inside. You mustn't watch." She was trying to sound concerned but her attention was glued to the spectacle before her.

Hilda pushed her off. "She's not dangerous," she murmured again as she climbed back to her feet. The housekeeper didn't try to stop her as the woman with the sword had pulled back, ready to swing.

Hilda lunged forward, tackling the woman to the ground. The woman was swearing and trashing underneath her, but Hilda kept her pinned down. The crowd had started to scream and shout. The beast was still crying incessantly. Hilda felt all her senses begin to become overwhelmed. Her shoulder was throbbing and her ears were ringing. She could barely get her eyes to focus. She had to escape. With the last bit of her strength, she grappled the sword from the woman and cut the ropes holding the beast down. "Get out of here!" she screamed, her voice tearing out of her throat. "Run!"

The beast stumbled back a few steps. It looked Hilda up and down several times before taking off toward the edge of town. Hilda sunk to her knees again as she watched it go.

The woman knocked Hilda in the back of the head, doubling her over, and then kicked her hard in the stomach. "Bitch, what did you do that for? That beast will be back and then what? Are you proud to say that you caused mass murder in this town?"

Hilda wheezed and coughed as she wrapped her arms around herself to hold her stomach. Tears sprung to her eyes. Her entire body was singing with pain. She had thought that Marianne pushing her shoulder back into place had hurt, but this was on a different level entirely. She wanted to throw up.

The woman grabbed her by the hair to sit her up again. "Answer me!" she shouted. When Hilda didn't respond, she got kicked in the stomach again.

"That's enough!" someone in the crowd said pulling the woman off of Hilda. 

Hida could barely breathe as she slumped forward into the snow. "I don't think it'll be coming back," Hilda murmured from the ground. She wasn't sure anyone could hear her talk. The edge of her vision was beginning to go black and her face was wet from something but she wasn't sure what. "Didn't you hear how scared she was...?"

The felt two separate pairs of hands grab her under her armpits. She started to be dragged along the ground.

_I hope you made it out alive, Marianne._

Marianne had made it to the edge of town and was creeping her way through the forest. Her feet were dragging and she stumbled forward, only able to catch herself on a tree. She leaned against it, panting heavily. Being fully conscious as the beast made her aware of how strenuous it was to be in that form. Her lungs hurt from breathing in the frigid air, her muscles ached, and it felt like she was carrying weights on her head. It reminded her of when she was in school and was forced to wear heavy armor. Her claws dug into the tree trunk to keep herself from falling to the ground under her own weight.

She'd never been this conscious while the beast was around. It was a truly surreal experience as the beast's eyes and movements didn't quite match what she expected even though she felt she was the one controlling them. It was as if there were a series of pictures and she was being shown them quickly with an occasional one being left out. She wasn't sure what to do next. 

Hilda hadn't followed after her when she'd taken off. From what she had observed, it was quite possible that Hilda couldn't have even if she wanted to. Marianne was slightly worried about the aftereffects of Hilda releasing her. She was sure that the people who had wanted her dead would be none too pleased about her getting away. She hoped that Hilda was alright.

She knew she would have to go back into town to find Hilda, but the idea was not pleasing. The beast had been terrified of losing its life. The horrible sounds that it had made were still fresh in her mind and she could still feel the ropes around her neck as the beast had thrashed against them. She gripped at her throat.

"I have to go find Hilda," she said aloud to steel herself. Her voice cracked and felt foreign to her. 

She shook her head and sat at the base of the tree. She closed her eyes and sat still, counting slowly to ten. Hilda had told her that it always calmed her down when she was feeling anxious about something. Marianne hoped it would work for her.

"Hold on a little longer..."

Hilda sat on the floor of the cell they'd put her into. She didn't remember how she got there but she vaguely remembered being dragged the whole way. Her butt was sore and her shoulder hurt. Still, she was warm and dry. She supposed that counted for something. She leaned her head back against the wall. Pain pulsed through her body. She wanted to fall asleep but wasn't sure she'd be able to. 

She stared up at the ceiling blankly. The horrible sounds of the beast still echoed through her ears. She had never heard an animal that terrified in her life. What had happened to Marianne that made her turn in the middle of town? Was it because of their fight? If she wasn't so exhausted and hurt, she would've cried. She couldn't muster up the tears.

"Pssst."

Hilda's head jerked toward the sound. In the doorway, Marianne was standing looking nervous. She had a wide-eyed look on her face and she was peering around the room. She was fully clothed, her hair pulled up, and a pack on her back. Hilda scrambled forward to the bars of her cell her heart leaping out of her chest. "Marianne," she whispered.

Marianne held a finger to her lips. She tiptoed across the room lightly, making no sound, and knelt beside the cell. "Are you okay?" she whispered. Her voice was barely there.

"Bumps and bruises," Hilda murmured. She reached her hand out of the cell and Marianne took it gingerly in her gloved hands. "I'll probably live. More importantly, are you okay? What happened?"

Marianne looked down at Hilda's hand. She turned it over several times unsure of what to say. "I..." She paused for a long moment. "Hilda, I'm... I... tried to... Well, I hurt myself... The wound,"—she nodded down toward her stomach—"I did that to myself... I was... keeping it open. The beast... well, you see it..."

"Oh, Marianne," Hilda said in a barely audible whisper. Her grip on Marianne's hand tightened. She hadn't realized Marianne had been hurting so much. She wished she had seen it sooner. "Marianne, why didn't you tell me?"

Marianne looked up at Hilda. She was crying. "I was so lonely. After the war, nobody needed me. I didn't know what to do. I lost my way."

"I need you, Marianne," Hilda murmured. "Where would I be without you?"

Marianne started to cry harder, her bottom lip quivering. "At home enjoying your life?"

"And missing out on wonderful letters from the dearest person in it." Hilda moved her hand up to cup Marianne's face. She wiped away her tears. "I could never be happy without you. I lo—."

She was cut off by the sound of people moving beyond the door on the other side of the room. Marianne quickly jumped to her feet and went to the lock on the cell. She worked it slowly, letting the small flame that she had conjured in her hands melt the metal. The lock fell off and hit the floor with a loud clang.

"What was that?" said a voice from outside the room.

Marianne threw the door open and pulled Hilda to her feet. "Can you walk?"

Hilda shook her head. "I don't think I can."

Marianne nodded once and hoisted Hilda onto her back. Hilda groaned as Marianne tugged on her bad shoulder. Pain shot through her arm. Marianne quietly apologized and Hilda just bit her lip to keep from making any more noise. Two people walked into the room right as Marianne got Hilda situated.

"What the hell...?" said one of the people looking dumbfounded in the doorway.

Marianne smiled awkwardly then took off running out the way she had come. It took a moment for the two people to realize that Marianne was making a break for it with their prisoner, but that was just enough time. She cast a small fire spell at the ceiling, sending flaming wood down on top of them. She sprinted outside. A horse she had 'borrowed' was waiting for them. She quickly shoved Hilda up on it and then jumped on herself. The people burst out of the door only to see them ride off into the forest.

An abandoned church entered the horizon. The two had been riding for quite some time before they had happened upon it. Marianne figured it must've been forgotten out in the woods after the war. The only other building in sight was a small house with a barn. It looked as though both buildings had been burned on the inside. The church, however, still looked in fairly decent repair. She pulled the horse's reigns and started to guide it toward the building.

The door to the church opened with a long creek. The inside was dusty and had a musty smell. It was cold, but it was dry and slightly warmer than outside. The altar, which once must've been extravagantly decorated with gold and jewels, was bare except for an ornate drawing of the goddess. It must've been painted on the wall as Marianne couldn't imagine looters leaving it behind. 

They crept through the pews and reached the altar. Marianne knelt and offered a quick prayer to the goddess, thanking her for allowing them shelter. She helped Hilda sit down then slowly eased her out of her shirt and began to heal her wounds. Marianne bit her lip as she noticed the bruising on Hilda's stomach. She was fairly sure she hadn't done that. Her hands gently slid over Hilda's body as her magic healed her wounds. The bruising started to fade.

Marianne finished up and went to pull her hands away but Hilda grabbed her wrist before she could move. Marianne's breath caught. Was Hilda mad at her? She swallowed hard. "Hilda, I'm sor—."

Hilda's mouth crashed into Marianne's with little grace or tact. Marianne's eyes went wide as she tried to process what exactly was happening. She finally melted into Hilda's touch. Hilda's grip tightened on her wrist as her tongue slipped into Marianne's mouth. Marianne made a soft noise of surprise but she made no attempt to stop Hilda either. 

"You stupid, stupid girl," Hilda murmured as she pulled away and started to kiss Marianne's neck and jaw and cheeks and ears. Her kisses were desperate and landed anywhere her mouth could get to. She gripped Marianne's face her in hands and stared at her as a river of tears fell from her eyes. 

Marianne could barely hold eye contact. Seeing Hilda cry like this broke her heart. "Are you mad at me?" she asked softly.

Hilda shook her head. "No. I would never be mad at you. I'm just sorry I didn't listen to you sooner. I love you so much."

Marianne's breath caught. She was crying now too, but her tears felt like rain after a drought. She felt like a weight had been lifted off of her. Hilda was with her once again. Hilda loved her.

Hilda pulled Marianne into her lap and kissed her again. Marianne wrapped her arms around Hilda's neck, pulling her even deeper into the kiss. Hilda's hands started to roam over her body and touch every inch of her. It felt like fire. Hilda took Marianne's hands and guided one down to her chest while she pushed the other into her hair.

Marianne could feel butterflies in her stomach as she boldly cupped Hilda's breast in her hand and gripped her hair tighter. She had always wondered what it would be like to touch another woman's breasts. She let her thumb rub over the fabric of Hilda's breast band where her nipple was. Hilda moaned and held Marianne's hips, her fingers gripping into the fabric of her pants tightly. "Marianne," she moaned against her lips. 

Marianne's hand dropped away and her grip on Hilda's hair loosened. "Did I hurt you?" she asked quietly. "I didn't mean to."

Hilda chuckled lightly. "That felt amazing actually," she whispered back. "May I take your shirt off?"

Marianne nodded and Hilda slowly stripped her down to bare skin. Marianne resisted the urge to cross her arms over her chest. She felt silly for wanting to—she couldn't even remember how many times she'd been naked in front of Hilda in the past few days—but it felt different now. She felt more exposed than she'd ever had before. Hilda was gazing at her with hungry eyes and Marianne knew where this fooling around could lead.

Hilda trailed kisses down Marianne's neck, over her collarbone, and then down her breast. Marianne's breathing picked up as Hilda took her nipple in her mouth. She gasped quietly and cradled Hilda's head into her chest. Hilda's mouth felt amazing. She'd never had anyone do this to her before. Her hips involuntarily pressed tighter to Hilda's as Hilda's tongue swirled around her nipple. She moaned, something deep and primal. She'd never made a sound like that before.

"H-Hilda, wait," Marianne said. Hilda pulled away abruptly and looked up at her with curious eyes. Marianne blushed brightly. It was clear on Hilda's face she didn't want to stop. "I..." She was having trouble finding the words. The sound she had made reminded her that she still had beastly features. "I look like this," she said quietly. "You don't have to force yourself to... have sex with me."

"I have never forced myself to do anything I didn't want to," Hilda said. She ran her hand slowly down Marianne's arm, her fingers running through the fur on her forearms, until her hand connected with Marianne's. Marianne shivered. Hilda smiled at her.

"Wh-What about the goddess?" Marianne asked as Hilda began to kiss her neck again. Marianne eyed the altar. Despite it being in ruin, she wasn't sure they should have sex right in front of it. She wasn't sure if any readings forbade it necessarily, but it still didn't seem right.

"She has a front-row seat to the finest show she'll ever see," Hilda murmured back.

Laughter bubbled up in Marianne's chest and she couldn't help but giggle. "We-We're in a church... Would it be disrespectful?"

Hilda grabbed Marianne by the jaw and made her look at her. "If you don't want to do this, I won't force you. But... please be honest with me that you don't want to."

Marianne's laughter instantly fell away. Hilda's gaze was intense with lust and wanting. It seemed she was taking this very seriously. Marianne wanted to give herself to Hilda more than anything in the world, but she still felt uncertain. "Why now?" she asked.

"I've been wanting to do this for years."

"But you... you never said anything?" Marianne gasped as Hilda's teeth brushed her skin. She let out another low moan as Hilda nipped her hard. It was going to leave a mark but Marianne didn't mind.

Marianne could feel Hilda's lips move against her skin as she spoke. "I was trying to get your attention and you never seemed interested in me." 

"What are you talking about?" Marianne winced as Hilda took her breast into her mouth again and dug her nails into her butt. "If I recall correctly, you were sleeping with almost any woman who would have you."

"To try and hint that I liked women," Hilda murmured. "Do you think you always _caught_ me on accident? I would've been a lot more tactful if I didn't want you to find out, trust me. I'm not that dumb."

Marianne sighed inwardly. Hilda thought she was being smart but didn't realize how dumb she was. They had been trying to get each other's attention in ways the other just couldn't see. They were both incredibly hopeless.

Her hips bucked against Hilda again when Hilda's tongue flicked against her nipple. She wrapped her arms around Hilda's head and pressed her into her chest. "Usually you're more forward in these types of situations. Why didn't you... ask me?"

"Because you're sensitive." Hilda's voice was muffled. She stopped her incessant kissing and teasing to look up from in between Marianne's breasts. "I was worried if I came on too strong it would scare you off. Well, and I..." 

"And you?"

"I have never liked anyone how I like you, Marianne... I was afraid of being rejected and my heart being broken. Back then, as much as it seems silly to say, it would've been the end of the world for me. To lose you as a friend if things were sour... I don't think I would have been okay. Then the war sort of threw a wrench in the rest."

Marianne pulled Hilda away from her and cupped her face in her hands. She looked her in the eye. "I've... loved you since we were kids. I just... couldn't tell you. You never seemed interested. I didn't want to hurt our friendship either."

Hilda ran her hand up Marianne's thigh. "Will you please allow me one simple pleasure?"

Marianne nodded slowly. "Defile me how you wish."

Hilda gave her a devilish smile. "If you insist."


	8. After Mass

Marianne woke up slowly. Her eyes were still heavy but the morning sunlight was too bright for her to sleep any longer. She wasn't sure she'd slept very long at all. The nest of blankets that she and Hilda had made on the ground was warm and comfortable. If she just settled in, she figured she could find sleep again. She reached over to where Hilda had been beside her the night before wanting to be in the arms of her lover again. Her hand only fell through empty space. Hilda wasn't beside her. She sat up quickly, scanning the church.

Hilda was sitting in a pew, gazing at the painting of the goddess. She had dressed again and looked lost in thought. She looked down at Marianne when she saw her move. Her smile was warm and welcoming. Marianne's heart fluttered. It felt like home.

"Morning, sleepyhead," Hilda said. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm... tired and a little sore," Marianne said after some thought.

She laughed awkwardly when she saw Hilda's eyes widen and a bright blush fill her cheeks. Hilda had kept her up through most of the night. She certainly wasn't complaining, but she had been a little out of practice for how much Hilda had wanted to do with her. Hilda had incredible stamina for someone who barely did any work. It had all felt amazing in the moment but Marianne was still feeling it that morning in a less pleasant way. Everything was just a little tender and she had bruises all over her chest and neck.

"I'm sorry," Hilda said sheepishly. "I suppose I should've held back a little bit."

Marianne laughed again. "That's alright. I didn't ask you to. It was really nice."

"Have you seen your hands?" Hilda said with a slight nod towards her.

Marianne tilted her head, her brow furrowed in confusion. She brought her hands above the blanket and her jaw fell. They were completely back to normal as if nothing had ever happened to them in the first place. Marianne flexed them to make sure it was real. She couldn't believe it. She hadn't seen her human hands in so long; she'd almost forgotten what they looked like. "They're... back." She looked at the goddess altar and whispered her thanks. She threw the blanket off of herself to check her feet next. Her heart sank when she saw those were still paws and covered in fur. She sighed. "I suppose changing back will take a little bit of time," she mumbled.

Hilda slid off of the pew and knelt beside Marianne. She took her hand gently and kissed each of her fingers individually. Marianne's body felt hot from the gesture like Hilda had set her whole hand on fire and it had traveled inside her. Hilda kissed up her palm to her wrist where her lips lingered for a long while. Marianne reached out and caressed Hilda's face. It was the first time she'd gotten to touch her with her real hands. She felt like crying.

"I could show you a good use for your hands," Hilda purred as she pulled away and removed her shirt.

Marianne blushed. "P-Please do."

Hilda gently took one of Marianne's hands and guided it to the crotch of her pants. The other she brought up to her breast. "I think it's time I have my turn."

Hilda was leading the way as she and Marianne rode their horses up the path to the Goneril mansion. It had taken them longer to make it back to the mansion than they had originally anticipated. They had been traveling for a little over a week. Every night they stopped the girls could hardly keep their hands off each other. It often led to oversleeping. This then led to afternoon sex. That then led to dinner at whatever inn they were staying at. That would lead them to having after dinner sex, after bath sex, and before bed sex. Hilda justified it by saying they were making up for the lost time. Marianne only tried half-heartedly to get her moving. She didn't want to miss out on Hilda either.

Neither of them had said so much aloud but they were both curious if at any point Marianne's feet could return to normal if they had more sex. It seemed the first transformation was triggered by it. It only seemed reasonable that a second would follow if Hilda pleasured Marianne enough. But, to both of their disappointments, it didn't seem that they would be changing back any time soon. Hilda assured Marianne that she didn't mind. She had told her that maybe someday they'd turn back and if they never did she would love Marianne just the same.

Marianne's eyes, though they had returned to a much more human appearance, also still carried their bright, yellow color. Waking up to them still startled Hilda sometimes, but she was getting more and more used to Marianne's gazes. She had pretty much forgotten what Marianne's eyes had even looked like before. Marianne herself was having trouble remembering as well. She seemed fond of the new color, though, even she seemed to startle herself on occasion.

Holst was in front of the house hauling a large log across the snow. He shielded his eyes from the sun as he looked down the path to see who was approaching. He waved excitedly when he noticed Hilda was riding a completely different horse than the one he'd sent her off on.

"Hilda!" he called as he stumbled through the snow. "Hilda, welcome!" His step faltered a bit when he noticed Marianne trailing behind her. "Oh, welcome!"

Hilda pulled up beside Holst, nearly knocking into him. He grabbed the horse's bridle to steady it. Marianne pulled to a much gentler stop beside him. She glanced at him with a small, polite smile as he grabbed her horse as well.

"Welcome, Marianne Von Edmund," Holst greeted with a small bow. "I see you are alive and well."

Marianne blushed. It had been a while since she'd been greeted by a noble in this way. "Th-Thank you, Holst," she replied. 

Hilda had slipped off her horse and wrapped her arms around him from behind. "You're making her uncomfortable with all of your noble talk. She's been living alone for a while. She's not used to it."

Holst looked between the two of them. "My apologies. Will she be staying for dinner?"

Hilda nodded. "The rest of the winter actually while her parents are away. She'll decide if she wishes to stay here with us or go back home then."

He made a thoughtful noise. "So they really had disappeared?"

"Yes, but not as the legend says."

"And what of the beast?"

"Oh, I took care of it." Hilda winked at Marianne from behind Holst's back and Marianne blushed brightly.

"Well, why don't you both come inside?" Holst said. "I'll stable the horses. You two should get warm. I'm sure you've had a cold journey."

Hilda helped Marianne off of her horse. The two watched Holst guide the horses away. Hilda wrapped her arm around Marianne's waist and then gestured grandly towards the mansion. "Welcome home, Marianne." She pecked her on the cheek. "Welcome home."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoy this little ending. It's pretty short and sweet but I wanted to wrap everything up on a high note. Hope you enjoyed reading and thank you for commenting/liking my story. It means a lot!


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